Refugees
by Truthful nomad
Summary: Young Fili and Kili didn't have a care in the world, living in the Blue Mountains with their uncle and their mother. Then the Orcs came and their world changed in an instant and would never be the same again...
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is not related to my other series even though it has the same original characters. It takes place ten years before the journey, Fili is 72 and Kili is 67, which I guess would be teenagers in Dwarf age.**

Kili had always enjoyed relaxing on the lake. It was mid summer and after a long pony ride through the forest, he was enjoying some time with his brother. The breeze off the lake was pleasant after the Blue Mountains had been experiencing a heatwave.

The lake was looking very tempting. Dwarves didn't bathe or swim, he knew, but with the temperatures climbing, he was nearly ready to break that trend.

"It's so hot…" he complained as he lay sprawled out in the grass, "I think you might be able to cook on my head!"

"Summer is nearly over," Fili assured him, as he sat propped up against the tree, "And then you will be wishing for the heat to return."

Kili wasn't concerned about winter at the moment. All he cared about was how miserable he felt. He wasn't the type of Dwarf that was particularly concerned about the future. Unless the future included food of course.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He sat up, causing Fili to glance at him in curiosity, as he pulled off his tunic and his shoes and made a b-line for the water.

"You'll get your trousers wet," Fili pointed out as Kili began to wade into the lake.

"They'll try," Kili responded. The water was cool and inviting. Kili waded in further into the lake and let himself sink down into the water. He felt instantly refreshed as he swam under the water, the world melted away as the quietness of being under the water made him feel calm.

As Kili was coming up for a breath, he heard a large splash and felt the water ripple around him. He smiled as he resurfaced to find Fili treading water beside him, his own tunic and shoes discarded on the lakeshore.

For the two young Dwarf princes, in the prime of adolescence, life was peaceful and pleasant. All they had to concern themselves with was getting their chores done correctly, paying attention to Balin's school lessons, and training with Dwalin. They were innocent of the world and its dangers.

Of course Kili and his brother knew that their uncle had worked hard to give them this peaceful life. They knew the story of Erebor and the gold that lay in a dragon's clutches under a mountain. But that world seemed far away and existed only in the memories and stories they had grown up on. Here, they were content and carefree.

"Fili, Kili!" came Dis's call. The two of them had swam in the lake for hours and night was beginning to descend. Lights came on in the windows of the log cabins of the small village and the smell of supper cooking permeated the air. Their mother's call was the dinner bell for them and Kili followed his brother to shore, picking up his tunic and shoes as they made their way through the houses and shops that made up this tiny Dwarf village in the mountains.

Their house was at the end of the short road, facing the forest. The young princes burst into the house casually, causing Thorin to look up from his seat at the table and Dis to turn as she tended the oven.

"By Durin's beard!" Dis exclaimed, furrowing her brow in anger at her son's appearance. Water dripped from their soaked trousers and gathered on the floor, as they stood there barefoot and bare chested, holding their boots and tunics in their arms.

"It was hot so we took a dip," Fili said as Kili just grinned sheepishly, "We didn't see any harm in it."

"Go change into dry clothes right this instant!" Dis scolded, "And hurry before your supper gets cold."

Their mother's tone was enough to make the boys rush to their room in a hurry. They returned, dressed within minutes, their hair still dark and wet as they slipped into seats at the table beside Thorin.

Kili's eyes lit up as Dis dropped a freshly cooked whole trout onto his place. His mouth watered in anticipation as he waited for everyone to be served and for Dis to join them at the table.

"Bofur and Bombur caught these in the river earlier," Dis explained as Thorin put the pipe he had been smoking down, "I told them Fili and Kili would clean out Bombur's barn and butcher shop in return."

"Ah!" Kili protested, even as he shoved fish into his mouth, "Mum!"

"Good idea," Thorin said, ignoring his youngest nephew's protests, "A little hard work never hurt anyone. In fact I have been thinking its about time you two learned a trade. You aren't dwarflings anymore."

That wasn't how Kili had intended to spend his summer. He had planned to spend his summer exploring the forest or swimming in the lake with his brother- just as he had every summer that he could remember.

Kili was distraught as he glanced over at Fili and found his brother nodding in acceptance. Of course, Fili was always the more responsible one.

"Yes, Uncle," Fili said simply. Kili huffed and scowled as he continued his meal. Maybe his uncle was right. He wasn't a Dwarfling afterall.

"Well what will you have them do?" Dis asked as she ate, "help you in the forge?"

"For now," Thorin confirmed, "But eventually, I'd like to teach them their own crafts."

"Like what?" Fili asked. Thorin shrugged,

"Making weapons and armor out of iron and steel is not all that dwarves are skilled at, and it is not my only craft," Thorin said, "If you could see the splendor that was Erebor… an entire empire carved out of rock and stone…"

"Rocks and stones," Kili repeated, "I like wood." And he did. Kili was one of the few dwarves who was skilled in archery. Though Thorin had had his bow made for him, Kili had learned to make his own arrows.

"Then I will show you the art of carpentry and woodworking," Thorin said, "And how about stone works for you, Fili? The men in the city would benefit greatly by having more dwarf craftsmen in their midst."

"Alright, Uncle," Fili agreed, "I think I'd like that."

"Good," Thorin said, "I'll see you both in my workshop tomorrow after your training lesson."

Kili found he was looking forward to learning from Thorin. He idolized his uncle after all. The great king who had fought many battles and even went up against a dragon! He only hoped that this new job wouldn't cut too much into his lake time.

Their plates finished, Fili and Kili retreated to their room, leaving Thorin and Dis to clean up the dishes. The sounds of the night filled the air as Fili opened the window while Kili relaxed on his bed and pulled out his pipe. Crickets chirped, owls hooted, flies buzzed.

Fili stepped over the pile of wet trousers and tunics laying in the middle of the floor as he crossed the room to lay down on his own bed and picked up his pipe.

"It shouldn't be so bad, getting a job and learning a trade," Fili mused as Kili puffed out a ring of smoke and stared out at the stars in the window, "Maybe we could be as skilled as Uncle someday."

"I suppose so," Kili agreed, yawning as he lay there feeling content and relaxed with a belly full of fish. The two of them talked for hours that night. Dreaming of the future and what it had in store for them…

Kili was fast asleep when screams of horror pierced the still night sky...


	2. Chapter 2

**I should warn you that there are some pretty intense feels up ahead… but I will let you see for yourself…**

Fili woke to the screams and shouts outside his room. He sat up in bed and looked across the room to Kili who was sitting up in bed and trying to look out the window.

Moments later, their bedroom door burst opened and Thorin hurried in. Fili squinted at him in the dark, but he seemed to be wearing his armor.

"Get up, both of you," Thorin said, urgently, rushing in and pulling his nephews out of their beds, "Hurry. Kili! get away from the window!"

Kili started to do as he was told, rubbing his eyes as he slowly slipped off the bed. Not quick enough for Thorin's liking, he darted forth and grabbed Kili by the arm and yanked him away from the window, harshly.

"Uncle!" Kili protested, but his cry was cut short when something large crashed through the window, landing on the bed he was laying in only seconds ago.

Fili glanced over and saw an arrow sticking into Kili's bed and gulped. That could have nearly been his little brother.

"What's happening!" Fili exclaimed as he hurried over to Thorin.

"Orcs," Thorin said grimly. Fili's heart pounded. He'd never seen an orc before though he knew from his uncle's stories that they were very dangerous. All his training with Dwalin had been to defend himself from Orcs and wargs.

"Enough talk," Thorin said, pulling his nephews along to the hall closet, "Here," he handed them their armor and their weapons. Fili slipped into his suit of mail and leather and started shoving knives and axes into various compartments all over his clothes, before grabbing his double scabbard.

Dis came over to them then, "Where on this earth could they have come from?" she exclaimed, fear in her voice.

"Probably came down from the Misty Mountains," Thorin said as he handed Kili his bow and his sword. Fili was surprised to see even his mother in armor and carrying a blade.

"I don't intend to sit here and wait to be flayed like some Human maiden," Dis said when she saw her sons watching her, "I may not be as skillfully trained as Dwalin, but I can handle a sword."

Fili didn't answer any further. He didn't have to. The orcs suddenly burst through the doors like a wave and ran right for them. Kili was quick to equip his bow and let loose an arrow into the first Orc's face. A second orc swiped at Thorin, who blocked and parried with his own sword.

Fili tried to defend Kili and was soon inundated with three orcs of his own. This was what all his practice had been for, now was the time to show what he'd learned. He held his own, as did his brother, the two of them were an unstoppable machine of steel as they chopped down one orc after the other.

Fili saw Thorin and Dis fighting near by, each handling their own. Piles of dead orcs fell around them.

And then one of the orcs knocked over a torch from the ceiling. Within seconds, the room erupted into flames. And they kept coming. Fili was beginning to feel tired as he sliced through another orc. Beads of sweat poured down his face as he fought for his life.

Fili came in for another volley, lifting his swords high to come down on his attackers, and as he brought his left sword down onto an orc's skull, he felt a sudden fire slice across his right side. Looking down, his eyes widened as he saw an orc blade embedded in his skin.

Fueled on by adrenaline, Fili ignored the pain and pulled the blade out of his own body and threw it back at the orc, watching with a bit of satisfaction as it got lodged into its throat.

"Fili!" Kili called, trying to fight his way to him. Kili coughed as smoke bellowed down on him. the entire house was engulfed in flames and it was hard to make his brother out. Fili coughed too and his eyes stung. He reached for his brother and pulled him over to him.

"Where's Mum! Uncle!" Kili coughed as they both fought through the orcs and flames. Fili squinted as he slashed another orc. He thought he could make Thorin out across the room. But then, as he turned, Fili gasped as he saw an arrow fly across the room and embed into Dis's stomach.

"No!" Kili tried and Thorin roared in anger as he beheaded the orc archer in one fell swoop before catching his sister before she hit the ground.

"Fili!" Thorin called as he held Dis in his arms, swiping at any orc who came near, "Kili!" Fili and Kili fought their way to his side.

"Take your mother and head for the forest," he instructed and immediately, Fili was shaking his head, tears streaming down his face.

Dis looked up at them and reached for them and Kili helped her to her feet. She leaned heavily against him, the arrow still deeply embedded inside her body. Blood stained her dress and she was very pale.

"What about you?" Fili asked, turning back to Thorin.

"I have to help defend the village," Thorin told him, "Just seek protection in the forest… I'll find you there when I can."

Fili opened his mouth to protest. He was scared, terrified. But he couldn't get any words out, just coughing, as smoke filled his lungs. He felt Thorin's strong arms grab him and steer him towards the opened door. Kili limped behind him as he helped Dis along.

Finally, the four of them were outside. And everything was chaos. Dwarves and orcs fought on roof tops, in the streets, and everywhere fire blazed around them. Screams of pain and horror filled the air as well as the sounds of battle and destruction.

"Go," Thorin said firmly, shoving Fili towards the tree line of the forest.

"Uncle…" Kili cried. But an agonized moan from Dis straightened him up. Reluctantly, he followed his brother into the forest. The last Fili saw of Thorin, he was rushing towards the terrible scene, sword raised high above him.

"Come on Kili," Fili said, falling back to help Kili carry Dis. The two of them walked deep into the forest and the sounds of battle began to fade away.

The sun began to rise and heat the world below, and it promised to be another heat filled day as the temperatures rose even at this early light.

"Fee…" Dis breathed, so faintly Fili almost didn't hear her.

"Put her down, Kili, we can rest here," Fili said as they helped lay Dis down under a tree.

Fili blanched as he saw the arrow, at least four inches in, "Watch for orcs," he instructed to Kili as he tore off a piece of cloth from his tunic to try to staunch the bleeding. He had completely forgotten about his own wound and frowned when he noticed his tunic was stained red already.

"No…" Dis breathed, weakly pushing Fili's hand away, "It's not far enough away… you have to get farther away from the village. They'll find you here."

"We have to treat your wound first, Mother," Fili explained, putting the cloth around her wound.

"No… no time…" Dis said, she coughed and blood stained her teeth. Just then, just as Dis had said, something crashed through the brush towards them. Kili held his sword ready and Fili looked up in alarm as he continued to try to stop the wound from bleeding, despite his mother's pleads to keep going.

"Kili, its us!" came a familiar voice. Out of the brush came Gimli and Ori. Fili frowned when he saw their condition. His cousin and his friend were both covered in bruises and Ori's arm dangled uselessly to the side.

"What happened?" Kili asked, standing down from his attack stance, "Did you see anyone else? My uncle?"

"He was fighting the orcs," Gimli said, "With everyone else. We were being chased, but the orcs can't be far behind!"

Fili gulped when he heard that. The orcs were right behind them. Glancing down to his mother, who had grown pale and listless, he tried hard not to panic.

"Come on, help me with my mother," He instructed and Kili hurried over to Dis's other side to help try to lift her to her feet.

Dis cried out in pain and pushed them both away, "No!" she exclaimed.

"Mother, we have to go!" Fili told her, his voice high with fear.

"Leave me here," She told him, "I'm not going to make it, Lad…"

"Yes you are!" Kili insisted, trying to pull her up.

"Please, you must leave," Dis said, her eyes full of tears as she pleaded with them, "Do what I tell you."

"She isn't making any sense…" Kili mused aloud, "She's delirious, Fili…"

"No…" Fili realized the truth as Dis went limp in their arms.

"Go on…" she whispered, "go to the forest and wait for your uncle…" and then with her last breath, she whispered, "I love you both…"

Kili began to weep softly as Dis died and Fili could only sit there and stare. Ori and Gimli looked on sadly.

But their grief was cut short by a loud screech. Fili looked up as one orc nearly caught Kili by surprise with a blade. Fili quickly pulled out his knife and lunged it at the orc, hitting it square in the face.

And now he was filled with anger as a small group of orcs descended upon them. He left his mother's body and jumped at the orcs, swords swinging. He beheaded two right away and he felt Kili, Ori, and Gimli all fighting beside him. Within seconds, the forest floor was littered with dispatched orc bodies.

As his anger subsided, Fili gasped. He had to handle this, he realized. More orcs would come.

"Come on Kili," he said, "We have to go."

"But Uncle…" Kili said, his face red and wet with emotion.

But Kili obeyed and the four of them hurried off into the forest. They walked and walked, deeper and deeper into the forest. They had no idea which direction they were heading, only that they were going further and further from their home, everything they had ever known. Fili hoped with everything he had in him that Thorin would eventually find them, but he couldn't think about that right now.

Fili winced as the wound in his side finally began to make itself known. He'd have to take a look at it, but not until he was sure they'd be safe. Suddenly, the world seemed a whole lot darker and bleaker to Fili. Just yesterday, they had enjoyed their youth and their innocence as they had always done. Fili had always known he was the oldest and Thorin's heir. He had always known there might be responsibilities to go along with that title. But those responsibilities seemed so far away. Thorin would always be there to protect him, after all… until today. Now it was up to him to protect the others.

The four young dwarves walked along… their world changed forever…

**Yeah that was rough… if it makes you feel any better, It was just as painful for me to write as it was for you to read! I'm sure you all have plenty of feels going on right now… **


	3. Chapter 3

They walked on for days. Until they couldn't walk any more. Fili wasn't sure where they were, he had never been this far away from the village. But he led them on. He hoped they would run into some kind of sign of civilization soon.

On the third day, Fili could swear that he heard the sounds of rushing water somewhere close by. A river or a stream. The three days had been misery in this relentless heat wave and Fili's wound ached terribly. Finally, some hope for some kind of direction.

"Are you alright, Brother?" Kili asked as they arrived in a small clearing. Fili tried to suppress a wince and smiled reassuringly at Kili.

"Yes," he said. In truth, the wound hadn't been that deep and had stopped bleeding long ago, but the dull ache that resonated from the wound was slowly growing more painful. Fili knew that infection was a possibility, but with no supplies, there was not much he could do about it. Besides, he was the leader of this group now, he couldn't afford to be weak and falter because of a small wound. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

Kili didn't look convinced but didn't press the issue. He didn't feel much like talking any way. They were all still quite shell shocked over the events that led them into this situation. There had been no further signs of Orcs, but no signs of Dwarves either. Fili hoped that Thorin had survived, but after three days, that hope began to dim.

"We will camp here," Fili said firmly, turning to look at Ori and Gimli, "Ori, go find that water source, Gimli, you can help me start a fire, and Kili, I'll need you to hunt for something to eat."

"I don't have many arrows left," Kili said, holding his bow, "I used them all on orcs."

"Well then make sure you don't miss," Fili snapped harshly. Kili gave him a look of surprise, but sighed and hurried off to do as he was told. Fili squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment to try to compose himself. He could feel the pressure mounting inside of him. He had to lead them, he had to take care of them. He'd never been in this kind of situation before, but he knew he couldn't fail.

Ori whimpered a bit as his arm dangled painfully to his side. Fili sighed.

"Ori…" Fili said and the young Dwarf looked at him, "Nevermind, Gimli can go get the water. You stay here and help me with the fire."

"No, I can do it," Ori insisted, "it's just… I don't have anything to carry it back in."

"We should camp on the river itself," Gimli put in as he wandered the small clearing, gathering firewood.

"No, we'll be easier to track down that way," Fili explained, "Animals and Orcs could be traveling along the river and see our fire."

Gimli grumbled and put the wood down and hurried off to carry out Fili's instructions. Fili turned to Ori, "Here, let me see your arm, Ori," Fili instructed, coming over.

"No, it's fine," Ori insisted, looking a little scared at the thought, "It's fine, really."

"No it isn't," Fili snapped again. He wasn't in the mood for any challenges. He hoped it wasn't too apparent to the others how stressed he felt.

Ori winced and sat down in the grass and allowed Fili to inspect his arm. As Fili kneeled, he felt the stabbing pain in his side again, but bit back a wince and ignored it. Ori's dark eyes gazed at him with concern.

"I'm fine," he assured his friend, looking over his arm. It was definitely broken, the bone was clearly visible just under Ori's elbow. Ori winced hard as he tried to move it. Fortunately, it hadn't broken through the skin.

It was good that Oin had taught the young Dwarves the basics of wilderness care. Thorin thought it important since they spent so much time out in the forest. Today, Fili was grateful that he actually paid attention to Oin's boring lessons. Set the bone, he remembered. Set it and get a splint.

"I'm going to have to set it," he said to Ori as he glanced around and picked out some sticks from the pile of firewood. Ori looked frightened at this idea but Fili ignored him. He felt bad for the pain he was about to inflict on his friend, but he had no choice.

"Okay," Fili said, taking a breath to compose himself as he grabbed the bones, "Let's just do it and get it over with…" and without further warning, he pulled hard and manipulated the bone back into place.

Ori led out a scream so loud it scared a few robins that were nesting in a tree above them. Fili quickly tore off a piece of his tunic and splinted Ori's arm, making him a makeshift sling.

"Sorry…" Fili said as he worked, "I'll get busy on our fire."

"... too hot for fire…" Ori gasped, "Must we?"

"Well the temperature will drop once the sun goes down," Fili reasoned, "And besides, we'll need light and I'm sure whatever Kili catches will need to be cooked."

Ori nodded as Fili went to work building a spot for the fire. Sweat gathered on his brow as his movements caused agony. He took a few breaths to beat down the waves of pain as he piled the firewood up.

"Kindling," he muttered to himself, "We need something to start the fire with."

"Bombur says you have to rub some sticks together," Ori said, "I could show you how."

"Here," Came Gimli's voice. Fili looked up to see Gimli carrying a large tortoise shell filled with water.

"The river isn't too far from here," he explained, "I had to find something to carry water back in. I found this shell, seems its own must have gotten caught by predators."

"Good," Fili said as Gimli set the water down and hurried over to help Fili, "Ori was about to show me how to get the fire going."

"I know how," Gimli said, "You can rest."

Fili wanted to protest. He didn't want to rest, he had to take care of everyone, after all. Kili hadn't come back yet and Fili was starting to get a little concerned. But his wound made itself known, so he reluctantly sat beside Ori and watched Gimli work.

A few hours passed and Fili was getting nervous. He fiddled with his hunting knife and watched the trees constantly.

"You don't think the Orcs could have gotten him?" Ori pondered and Fili shot him an angry glance. He was barely containing his feelings of guilt over sending his brother out there alone. He should have gone himself.

"I hope he didn't get lost," Gimli said, "Maybe we should go look for him?"

"I can't risk losing someone else!" Fili retorted, not hiding the anxiety from his voice.

But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kili emerged from the trees, holding his jerkin in his arms. Fili ignored the pain and rushed over to him.

"Where were you!" he demanded angrily, "You had me worried sick!"

"Hunting, like you asked me to," Kili responded, "Only I couldn't find anything. It's too hot, animals are moving on… so I had to travel further."

"I can't lose you too," Fili continued to shout, "Just don't be so foolish next time!" Fili winced as he said those words. He didn't mean to say them, but it was too late. Kili glared angrily at him,

"I was doing what _you_ wanted me to!" He bite out, shoving his jerkin at Fili before stomping past him to get to camp. Fili glanced down to see some walnuts, berries, and grasshoppers contained inside the jerkin.

Fili sighed and closed his eyes tight, trying to soothe his raging emotions. He was losing control, he knew. This was too much, too much for him to handle. He was lashing out at his closest friends because he was scared.

Silently, he brought Kili's catch over to camp. His brother sat silently staring at the fire and didn't even look up at him. Gimli and Ori were too uneasy to speak either. Sighing, Fili poured all the food out onto a flat rock and set it close to the fire to roast.

"We have to eat bugs…" Ori complained, but was silenced by a glare from Fili.

"We have to eat what we can get," he said shortly, "No complaining." He divided the food and gave everyone a share before putting an amount aside for later. They might have to conserve what they found.

It was a quiet dinner. No one said a word. And when it was over, Fili watched his brother get up and go lay down in the grass, his back to everyone.

"Get some sleep," he told Ori and Gimli, "I'll take first watch."

"You should rest," Gimli said, "I can take first watch. I-"

"No," Fili interjected hotly, "I'll do it. I'll wake you up in a few hours. Just get some sleep."

"What is going to happen to us?" Ori asked honestly, as he and Gimli both lay down in the grass, "Where are we going to go now?"

"We don't have anywhere to go," Gimli responded. Fili watched them silently as they eventually drifted off to sleep.

Fili sighed as he glanced in the direction of Kili. Though he appeared asleep, Fili could tell he wasn't. Taking a breath, the golden haired dwarf slowly got to his feet and moved to sit beside his brother.

"Kili?" he whispered. Kili ignored him. Fili lay down in the grass beside him and waited, silently. Eventually, Kili turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," Fili said softly, "I was just scared that something had happened to you. I shouldn't have told you to go."

Kili didn't say anything for a long time, just stared at Fili. Fili swallowed hard as he began to think his brother wasn't going to forgive him. A hard lump formed in his throat as he tried to hold back tears.

But then, Kili scooted over and into Fili's arms and Fili eagerly embraced him. He didn't realize how bad he needed that and he let his tears flow freely. Kili's body quivered a bit as he wept too. They both lay there silently for a long time, shedding tears for those they had lost and for each other.

"What's going to happen, Fee?" Kili asked softly after a while, "I'm scared."

"I'm scared too," Fili admitted, "But I am going to take care of you, I promise. We'll stick together no matter what. The four of us."

_I promise… _ He thought to himself, over and over as he held his little brother in his arms. He'd take care of them no matter what.

"I miss Mother…" Kili sniffed and Fili blinked back more tears, "And Uncle…"

"I know," the golden haired dwarf said, "So do I…"

As the night wore on, Fili stared up at the sky, at the stars far above them. Though their situation was dire, he didn't know where they were going, his wound still hurt terribly, and he missed his family very much, he suddenly began to feel much better. Somehow, holding his brother tight, protecting him from the world and its dangers, Fili began to recognize his determination. They'd get through this because Fili would see to it.

… that is until Fili heard the rustling in the bushes. Instantly, he was brought back to reality as he sat up, causing Kili to jump up as well.

"What is it?" Kili asked wearily.

"Something's in the woods," Fili said and then tried to get up. He winced hard as he struggled to his feet- with Kili's help. Kili looked at him with concern but a stick cracking near by forced him to focus.

Quickly, the two brothers withdrew their weapons and readied themselves as the thing came out of the forest…

"_Thorin!"_

**Thank you everyone for your reviews! I love seeing them! **


	4. Chapter 4

Fili and Kili stayed locked in their uncle's arms for a precious long moment, none of them wanting to let go. As they did, other Dwarves came through into the clearing. Kili saw Balin and Dwalin come out and he and Fili quickly exchanged embraces with them. Gloin and Oin headed quickly for Gimli and Dori and Nori followed quickly behind them. Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur were all in attendance. There were very few of them, Kili noticed. The village had been small, but it had been thriving. Now…

"Where is everyone else?" he asked Thorin. His uncle gave him a solemn and weary look.

"The village was razed to the ground. Not much survived," He said sadly, "The people fled in all directions, those few who survived. We're homeless now, I'm afraid."

As Kili looked around, it seemed every single Dwarf bore some kind of injury. Cuts, wounds, broken bones, and sprains were all in abundance. Even Thorin was not unscathed, a large gash ran across the left side of his face, caked with dried blood and he was limping very slightly. But he was alive.

"We've been tracking you for days," Dwalin said, coming over to them, "We were afraid for you. How have you fared?"

"Well," Kili said, "Fili took care of us."

"Didn't go a very good job of it…" Fili muttered under his breath. Kili turned to respond when he noticed his brother was very pale.

"Are you alright?" He asked with concern. Thorin raised a brow at them but Fili waved them both off, irritably,

"I'm fine," he said curtly, "Fine."

Kili wasn't convinced and from the expression on Thorin's face, neither was he, but neither of them pushed the issue. Fili could be very stubborn and the expression he gave made it clear the matter wasn't opened for debate.

"What is our path?" Fili asked, changing the subject away from himself, "Uncle? We were planning to follow the river."

"That is a good plan," Thorin responded as he searched around the clearing, "Where is your mother?"

Kili winced as his uncle's weary eyes searched around for any sign of his sister. Kili felt that familiar lump form in his throat as he thought about his mother. He looked into Thorin's face, tears starting to cloud his vision.

"She didn't make it," Fili said for him, "We were ambushed by Orcs…"

The news hit Thorin hard. He looked away for a moment to compose himself, putting a hand to his eyes.

"Why did they come?" Kili asked, more to himself to anyone else. He knew Orcs were dangerous and evil, but why had to come? Why did they hurt them? He didn't understand why anyone could have any grievances towards him and his kin. They had lived in the Blue Mountains since long before he had been born and they had thrived there. They were peaceful and got along well with the villages of men around them. The kind of blatant hate and thirst for blood that the Orcs possessed was hard for him to process.

"We aren't sure, Laddie," Balin answered, stepping forward to put a hand on Kili's shoulder, "Orcs are orcs, they lust for death and blood, there's no reasoning with them."

"I thought we cleared the mountains of Orcs long ago," Dwalin replied, "I can't understand where they came from."

There was some silence as each Dwarf pondered their situation. Kili watched as Gloin and Oin attended to Gimli and Nori and Dori inspected Ori's broken arm. He felt hopeful. At least they were all together now. Kili noticed the look of relief in Fili's eyes. He was happy to be relieved of the pressure of leading them.

"He did a good job," Kili said, gesturing towards Fili, "He kept us safe."

"I had no doubt," Thorin said, turning back to face them. Kili noted his eyes were red rimmed.

"Do we stick to the plan?" Dwalin asked to Thorin. Kili and Fili exchanged confused glances.

"Yes, I suppose," Thorin said, looking very reluctant.

"It's for the best, Lad," Balin reminded him, "You know that."

"What plan?" Fili wanted to know.

"We don't know where the Orcs came from," Thorin began, the sudden gentleness in his voice worried Kili, "But we suspect they were sent by someone."

"They were looking for your Uncle, Lads," Balin explained, "Seems there is a price on his head. We're being hunted."

Kili gulped. Someone wanted to kill his uncle! He couldn't fathom the thought. He knew Thorin was a mighty king who had been through many battles with Orcs, but those battles were in the past. Who could possibly want to hurt him?

"It's not safe for us all to travel together," Thorin continued. Those words hit Kili like a hammer. He blinked as if he'd been struck in the face as he realized what Thorin was implying.

"W-we're not staying together?" He breathed, gasping out as he looked at Fili who looked equally upset.

"I'm afraid not, Laddie," Balin said, sorrow in his eyes, "We stayed together just long enough to find you, now it's time to go our separate ways."

"But we just found you!" Fili cried out in horror, "We thought you had all been killed! Please, you mustn't go!"

"It's for the best, Fili," Thorin said, "We need to find a new home; the Blue Mountains are not safe anymore. If we split up, we'll cover more ground that way and we'll be harder to track down by Orcs."

Kili shook his head in disbelief. His world had been shattered and turned upside down. He had lost his mother, his home, and now he was losing all of his friends and relatives. It was too much for him. He tried to be strong, but he couldn't keep the tears from spilling from his eyes. He wiped at them quickly, not wanting anyone to see.

"Don't worry, Laddies," Balin said, "We will find each other again. Dwalin and I will make sure of it."

"I do not like the idea of my people being scattered across Middle Earth like nomads and vagabonds," Thorin said sadly, "But we will be easier to pick off by Orcs if we remain together. You, your brother and I are to follow the Brandywine River east. The others will seek their own paths."

Kili bit his lip to suppress his emotions. Thorin's word was final and it was clear that he and the others had come to this decision already. Kili knew better than to argue with his uncle. He exchanged farewells with all the Dwarves he had grown up with. His eyes fell on Ori and Gimli as they approached.

"We'll see one another again," Ori assured him, giving Kili an embrace with his good arm, "Be well."

"Thank you for taking care of us," Gimli said, embracing Fili, "Don't lose touch, Cousin."

Kili exchanged embraces with Gloin, Oin, Dori, Nori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. He and his brother watched sadly as they disappeared back into the forest. Only Balin and Dwalin remained.

"We'll keep track of them," Balin assured them, "And of you, Thorin."

"Which direction will you take?" Thorin asked.

"We'll cross the river and take it from there," Dwalin answered, "Perhaps to the Misty Mountains."

"You know what lives in Moria," Thorin said with warning, "Be careful."

"You too, Lad," Balin replied, glancing at Fili and Kili, before hugging them both tight, "Don't forget your lessons now, Laddies. And don't forget where you came from."

"And don't forget your training," Dwalin instructed, "It will come in handy now."

"It already has," Kili assured him, swallowing hard. Dwalin exchanged hugs with them all, a show of emotion that was quite rare for the old hardened warrior. And finally, Balin and Dwalin turned and departed, leaving Kili, Fili, and Thorin alone.

"Come on," Thorin instructed, putting an arm on Kili's shoulders and another on Fili's, "Lingering too long in a clearing will bring unwanted attention and we have a long road ahead of us."

**Ahh the company has split… This story is escalating quickly in my mind. Private message me if you want spoilers, just be careful though because I'll happily give you all the spoilers you want… And if you are following my other story, "Choices," don't worry, I'm not abandoning it, I'm just really stuck with it right now and I need to think about it a little more, it needs some direction. So I'm giving it a break for the time being.**


	5. Chapter 5

Thorin watched as his young nephews slept in the heat of the morning sun. They had walked on for a number of weeks after splitting from the company. Their pace had been unbearably slow due to the heat and their deteriorating health. They had only been able to travel at night and in the early hours of the morning as by noon, it became too hot to travel.

They had gone up and over the mountains, always following the river. They would reach the shire by nightfall. From there, they could head for Bree. The town of men would be their first place of refuge. Thorin thought he could find work there and decide upon their next course of action.

He just had to get them that far. As he looked down at Fili and Kili, he feared for them both. At least Fili had finally allowed him and Kili to take a look at his untreated orc wound. It showed signs of infection and they had done their best to binde it properly. He seemed to be improving now and his pace had quickened.

The heat spell was relentless. Thorin could not remember a time in all of his 185 years of life when Middle Earth had baked like this. The river shrank and mosquitos and other insects buzzed around them. The grass was a golden brown color and the heat had caused many animals to die or move away and plants died as well. This problem was taking its toll on Thorin and his nephews. They had sometimes been lucky and had caught fish or a rabbit, but mostly, they were living off of berries and insects. They had gone many weeks without a full meal and the effects were devastating.

Thorin moved over to wake Kili. Shaking him gently, he swallowed hard when his youngest nephew opened his eyes to look up at him. He looked terrible. He was in the throes of starvation and was beginning to look quite emaciated. His eyes were shrunken in and weary and Thorin could make out just about every bone in his body. His hair and tunic- which hung in rags by now- were still damp from a recent dip in the river.

Thorin remembered the devastating effects of starvation. In the time after they had been forced from Erebor, before they had made their home in the Blue Mountains, many of his people had died of starvation. He had never imagined he would have to watch his beloved nephews succomb to this.

"Come on, we need to make a few miles before it gets too hot," Thorin said, helping Kili to his feet, "With any luck, we can make it to the shire by tonight."

"Alright..." Kili responded weakly, swaying a little on his feet. Thorin felt the pains of hunger as well and knew he didn't look much better.

"I was dreaming of Mother's roasted mutton," Kili said with a small smile as Thorin turned to Fili, "And ale and fresh cheese!"

Thorin's stomach lurched painfully at the thought of food, "Sounds delightful," he said as he reached out to touch Fili on the shoulder.

Fili moaned as Thorin shook him gently, but to his concern, the blonde dwarf didn't move. Kili watched and he and Thorin exchanged concerned glances. Fili lay on his side, curled in slightly. Gently, Thorin tried to wake him again.

"Fili," he said firmly, "Come on, we must continue on."

Thorin's concern grew when Fili only coughed in response. Slowly, he rolled his nephew over onto his back and paled a bit when his hand brushed against Fili's face. It was hot and his skin was flushed with heat, but took on a strange yellowish tint.

"Can't..." Fili gasped out, as he shivered slightly, "Hurts..."

"What's wrong?" Kili asked moving closer, "Fili?"

"He has a fever," Thorin responded as he began to undo the bandages he and Kili had made out of cloth, "Another infection, I think."

But when Thorin pulled up Fili's tunic to reveal his stab wound, he furrowed a brow in confusion. The wound showed no sign of infection and seemed to be healing, slowly but steadily.

"I don't understand," he mused, replacing the bandages, "Fili, what hurts?"

"Everything…" Fili moaned, his shivering became more pronounced.

"Can we try to find Oin?" Kili suggested. Thorin sighed and shook his head.

"I wouldn't know where to look for him," he said, trying to think. He didn't know much about medicine and had no clue what could be ailing his eldest nephew, "We have to try to get him to the shire. Maybe the hobbits can help."

Thorin gathered his strength as he gathered Fili into his arms. His golden haired nephew was very light now, his body reduced by hunger. Thorin slowly rose to his feet, wobbling a bit.

"Come," he said to Kili. Thorin began to move on, slowly, with Fili in his arms. Kili stumbled along and Thorin worried for him as well. The hunger and the heat were proving difficult for the younger brunette dwarf.

They walked on along the river and as the temperature climbed and the day wore on. They should have stopped long ago as the heat was becoming intense, but fear for Fili's life prodded them onwards. The blonde dwarf drifted in and out of consciousness in Thorin's arms.

Thorin gasped as he stumbled on, the sun beating down on him as they came out of the forest and onto the rolling hillsides. He was moving on pure adrenaline, the only need keeping him from collapsing. Sweat dripped into his eyes and his hair hung damply to his face. He kept glancing behind him to check on Kili and each time, he was alarmed by how Kili seemed to stagger along.

As evening brought little relief from the sun, Thorin began to see signs of life ahead. Small stone walls and hobbit holes.

"Almost there, Kili..." the king announced, as he shuffled Fili in his arms. He hesitated when he got no response. He came to a halt before peering behind him, "Kili?"

Kili had collapsed. Thorin hurried to him and gently lay Fili down. "Kili!" he exclaimed, "Come on Kili, you must get up!"

"Can't…" Kili responded, rolling onto his back. His skin was flushed and he was no longer sweating. Kili was beginning to succomb to the heat and to starvation. "Sorry, Uncle… so hungry… its so hot… my head..."

Thorin ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and tried not to panic as he glanced from Fili to Kili. He was losing them both. He had lost so much already and he needed them.

"No!" he cried, "I refuse to lose you both!" He gathered them both into his arms and pulled them to the river. Taking Kili first, he waded into the river with him, wetting his face and hair, and slowly spooning water into his mouth. Kili coughed and gasped for breath, his skin turning red and flushed. Thorin gently but urgently deposited him back onto the banks and took Fili into his arms, careful to avoid getting his wound wet.

Fili moaned like a wounded animal, that yellow tint on his skin was more noticeable. Thorin winced in fear as he gently wet him with the water. Finally, he returned to the banks with him- just in time to see Kili on his side, getting sick into grass before toppling over onto his back, utterly exhausted.

"It's going to be okay," Thorin assured them both. And himself. He tried to think. Neither of them could stand, let alone walk. How was he going to get them to the shire? Turning to glance behind him, he narrowed in on the closest hobbit hole. A small one with a small green door a short distance away. He just had to get them there.

Thorin was weak and ill with starvation and the thought of carrying his two nephews was troubling. If he had been at full strength, the task would be quite easy, especially in their emaciated states. But now, with his strength faltering…

Taking a breath, he willed his frayed mind to concentrate on the task at hand. Slowly and gently, he lifted Fili and draped his thin body over his left shoulder. He sat for awhile, allowing his body to adjust to Fili's weight on his shoulder, slight though it was. Once he had one nephew in place, time for the other. Slowly and with one hand, he tugged at Kili and lifted him up and nestled him onto his other shoulder.

Slowly and using every ounce of strength he had, Thorin Oakenshield rose to his feet. He wobbled and his knees buckled, his legs threatened to give way under him. But he refused to let them. Groaning and holding onto his precious cargo, he took one step, then another. Then a third then- he was interrupted as he heard- and felt- Fili getting sick on him.

"Sorry…" He heard Fili mutter weakly as he dangled from his uncle's shoulder. Thorin couldn't help but smile a bit as he imagined his nephew's embarrassed expression at having gotten sick on his king.

"It's alright, my Lad," he replied, as he continued to walk, closer and closer to the hobbit hole, "Just stay with me."

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Thorin arrived, panting and exhausted, on the doorstep of the little Hobbit hole, the one with the mailbox marked Bag End…

**Sorry for the gross out factor of the puking. This story is so fun to write, there are so many possibilities! I have a general outline of how it is going to play out, but mostly, I am kind of letting this story unfold all on its own.**


	6. Chapter 6

Bilbo Baggins was a very respectable hobbit, despite what his Took heritage may imply. It's true that in his youth, he had exhibited a somewhat adventurous spirit and indeed it wasn't something he could completely deny. But ever since he had inherited Bag End, a number of years ago following his mother's death, he had acquired a reputation for respectability and reliance. He had always been on time for any proper event, always well dressed and well mannered. His prize winning vegetable garden was the envy of his neighbors and he always kept Bag End in perfect order.

That is until the heat spell from three unsavory characters to his door. The hobbits, who relied on their farming and agriculture, were not too adversely affected by the heat. They were experts in the arts of growing things, after all. With much effort, they had managed to save their crops from the worst of the heat and Bilbo's tomatoes still took first place at the fair. His pantry will still well stocked and the shire was still a land of plenty.

On that mid august eve, as Bilbo had just sat down to enjoy a meal of fresh fish when he heard a loud thumb against his door. Not quite a knock, as if something had hit it. Curious, he glanced in that direction and listened. Another thump, louder this time. Who could be at his door at this hour?

Hurrying over, Bilbo yanked open the door, and frowned. There stood the most homely looking dwarf he had ever seen. Staring at Bilbo with dark, empty eyes, he stepped into the house before Bilbo could say anything. His clothes were in rags, his hair hung in knots from his head, and Bilbo could clearly see the outline of all the bones in his face. A large gash lined his face.

But that wasn't all. Draped over his shoulders were two more dwarves, both seemed to be asleep- or possibly dead, Bilbo wasn't too sure.

"Uh, can I help you?" he asked as the dwarf shoved his way into his house.

"We need food," the dwarf mumbled weakly, "And shelter. Where can I put them?"

"Them? oh uh… here in the parlour, I suppose," Bilbo followed behind as the Dwarf carefully deposited the other two onto the long sofa under the parlour window. Bilbo got a better look at them now as the dwarf arranged them on the sofa with the blonde on the left end the dark haired dwarf on the right, their heads resting against one another. They were both very young, he noted, the brunette's face was covered with the short stubble of a beginning beard.

"Are they alive?" Bilbo asked with concern as he glanced at the two younger dwarves. They were both seriously emaciated, and the blonde one seemed to have a strange yellow tint to his skin.

"Yes…" the older dwarf said wearily as he kneeled weakly beside the sofa and put his hand against each of their necks, "they are ill and they need food. Do you have an apothecarist in your community, Master Hobbit?"

"Ah yes…" Bilbo said, "My sister Astelia is the herbalist. She's quite good… ah, they don't have anything contagious, do they?"

"No," the dwarf said hesitantly, "... I'm not sure."

Bilbo didn't like the hesitance in his voice, "They're fine, I'm sure," he said, "uh well let me go get her then… ah, who are you, again? I didn't quite catch your name."

"Thorin…" the dwarf said weakly. Bilbo noted that while he was still able to stand, he didn't look much better than his two younger kin. "Please hurry."

Bilbo hurried out the door, sensing the urgency in his voice. He felt confused and not quite sure of this situation. Where did these dwarves come from? He knew Dwarves lived in the near by mountains, but they rarely came this far east. Where were they going?

Bilbo hurried past the other hobbit holes, hoping the neighbors wouldn't notice him. Why did they have to come to his door? Why did it have to be his of all places?

He rushed up and rang the bell on the small yellow doored hobbit hole and waited until his lovely dark haired older sister appeared at the door.

"Ah, Astelia, would you please bring your herbs to my house?" He asked.

"Bilbo, it's getting late, Asphodel and I were getting ready for our supper." At that, Bilbo noticed his young niece appear at the door beside her mother.

"What is it, Uncle?" the young red haired hobbit asked, "Shall I go get the supplies, Mother?"

"It's a matter of urgency," Bilbo responded, watching as Asphodel hurried to retrieve her mother's apothecary kit.

"Very well," Astelia and her daughter hurried out their door and followed Bilbo back to his house. They both stopped short when they found what was in the parlour.

Thorin the dwarf was busy trying to coax the dark haired dwarf awake in order to finish off the rest of Bilbo's fish supper, the empty plate laying on the ground nearby.

"Are those Dwarves?" Asphodel asked as Astelia moved towards them cautiously, "Where did they come from?"

"From the mountains, I'd imagine," Bilbo replied, "They just showed up on my doorstep. Looks like they've been out in the heat for quite awhile."

"Are they… friendly?" Asphodel asked hesitantly, staying close to Bilbo as her mother approached the trio.

"Yes, I think so," Bilbo said, taking note of the swords and weapons that now lay on his parlour floor.

"No don't give him that," Astelia instructed as Thorin continued to try to get the brunette to eat, "Looks like you haven't had a good meal in a while, best not to eat too much at once."

Thorin stumbled back to give the hobbit some room, "We haven't eaten…" he said weakly, as he lowered himself into a chair with a groan, his energy utterly spent. "Please help them. Fili… he's very sick…" he pointed towards the blonde dwarf, who lay motionless, "Orcs…"

"Fili," Astelia responded, as she knelt beside the blonde dwarf and began to remove the shreds of what was left of his tunic, "Strange name, and who is the other one?"

"Kili…" Thorin breathed. The brunette stirred slightly at the sound of his name. He opened his large brown eyes to gaze around at his surroundings, before his eyes fell on Thorin.

"Uncle?" he said softly, "Where's Fili?"

"Right behind you," Thorin responded and as Kili squirmed, he felt the heat of Fili's head against his own and relaxed slightly.

"Ah…" Astelia breathed as she unwrapped the wound to take a look, "It does show signs of infection, but not severely, there is something else causing illness, I think."

"Fili?" Kili moaned, his face scrunched in emotion when his brother didn't respond to him. Asphodel came forward and sat beside him on the sofa. She watched as Astelia put a hand on Fili's forehead, and then his neck, examining him. She attempted to mimic her mother's actions, trying to get at Kili's tunic, but he swatted her hands away.

"What should I do with this one?" Asphodel asked, as Bilbo brought them rags and buckets of water, "He looks like a skeleton and he's being difficult."

"He's suffering from the heat, you have to cool him down," Astelia responded as she gently washed out Fili's wound and began to stitch it up.

Thorin scoffed at the comparison and Bilbo gave him a grin, "She's young but she's getting to be pretty skilled," he informed the old dwarf, "After years of watching her mother with care for patients, she's developed some skills."

"Kili, stop," Thorin warned as Kili tried to sit up while Asphodel kept pushing him back down, "You are alright."

Kili responded with a grunt and a wince, but finally relaxed enough to allow Asphodel to help him. She removed his tunic and began wetting his skin with the wet rags.

"Brother, why don't you fix them something simple to eat?" Astelia suggested, "They need to get their strength back."

Bilbo nodded and made quick work in the kitchen, whipping up some bowls of porridge and hurrying back to them, shoving a bowl into the older dwarf's arms. He practically inhaled it, didn't even bother to wait for it to cool.

"Oh dear…" Astelia murmured with concern as she gently pried open Fili's eyelids and peered at the blonde dwarf's unconscious eyes, "You poor thing."

"What is it?" Thorin asked with concern while Asphodel helped Kili slowly sit up so he could eat his porridge.

"Astelia, is he al-" Bilbo was cut off when Fili suddenly jolted awake and gasped. Astelia had to quickly get out of his way as he got sick all over the parlour floor.

"He has a sickness," Astelia explained as she helped settle Fili down, "It's a fever that is common during times like this when there is heat and humidity and the biting insects are plentiful. Its not easy to pass from one to another so you need not worry about that."

"Uncle…" Fili uttered, pain in his voice as he finished vomiting and fell back onto the couch, eyes trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"I'm here," Thorin assured him, trying to get out of the chair and growling in frustration when his exhausted body refused to cooperate. Bilbo watched them with pity as he quietly set about cleaning Fili's mess.

"Fili!" Kili exclaimed, looking down at his brother as Asphodel dutifully tried to spoon porridge into his mouth. He glared and swatted her away again, "I can feed myself," he said sharply, then reluctantly took the bowl when Thorin shot him a warning look.

"What can we do for him, then?" Bilbo asked as he looked from one pained dwarf face to the other, "Surely you can make some herbal concoctions for him?"

"Shh, dear…" Astelia murmured as Fili groaned. Then, turning to Bilbo, she sighed, "They don't usually make it. And this poor Dwarf is also suffering from hunger and heat, like his brother. His chances aren't too good, I'm afraid…" and as she saw Thorin and Kili's face, she quickly added, "But this lad is young and I'm sure he's very strong. You mustn't lose hope."

Fili gasped as his head lolled back in forth. He seemed oblivious to those around him. Astelia quickly began to pull out a few jars of liquid, "He must be allowed to rest," she began, "There isn't much to be done at this point, except to keep him cool and give him fluids. I'll leave you with some sleeping draughts," she leaned forward, "Do you think you can eat, Dear?"

"Mum?" Fili responded, gazing up at Astelia, his blue eyes glistening with tears. Kili gasped out a sob from beside him. Sighing sadly, Astelia signaled for Bilbo to help and the two sat him up long enough for Astelia to spoon a few mouthfuls of porridge into his mouth. He whimpered as he swallowed and she gave him a few spoonfuls of draught as well before lowering him back down.

"I'll check on him in the morning," Astelia said, as she gave Bilbo a sad look. Bilbo gulped when he read what his sister was saying in her expression. If he lived the night. Bilbo sighed in sympathy as he watched the young dwarf drift off to sleep. He didn't know these strangers, but he hated to see someone so young suffer.

Astelia quickly examined Kili and Thorin, cleaning up Thorin's head wound, "I think the two of you will recover with enough rest and food," she said. She turned to Bilbo, "Will you care for them, then?"

"Yes," Bilbo said. He didn't really want to have overnight guests at the moment, but throwing them out in their condition was unthinkable. The neighbors might talk about him taking in a trio of dwarves, but he didn't much care about that right now.

"Come, Asphodel," Astelia said, packing up her supplies and setting some bandages and medicines on the table, "We'll be back bright and early."

Asphodel nodded, following her mother out of Bilbo's house. Bilbo set about making his guests more comfortable. He helped Kili to lay back down and drapped the two of them with blankets.

"Would you be more comfortable sleeping in one of my guest rooms, Master Dwarf?" he asked, turning to Thorin.

"No, I won't leave them," Thorin said firmly as he scooted his chair closer to that he could reach out and stroke each head.

"Very well then," Bilbo said, frowning as Fili moaned slightly in his sleep and Kili sniffled, "Can I get you anything more?"

"No," Thorin said, looking up at him with gratitude, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Don't worry on that," Bilbo said with a smile, "Did I hear them call you Uncle?"

"Yes," Thorin responded, "They are my nephews. Their mother, my sister…"

"Ah, I understand…" Bilbo said when Thorin trailed off. He could see the look of loss written clearly upon his face, "Asphodel lost her father recently, I'm afraid. I'll let you get some sleep then."

With that, Bilbo left the dwarves alone in his parlour and headed for his room.

**Ahh Bilbo to the rescue! and yes, I know Bilbo didn't have a sister in the books, but well… he does now. **

**Just an author's technical notes on the OC's: Asphodel and Brenna (she'll be here later) are both original characters from my original novel (which should be ready for publishing by the end of the year, by the way!) so I am also making them signature characters for all my fan fictions as well. Their back stories may be a little different from one fan fiction to another, but their personalities/looks will be the same. They're both a few years younger than Fili and Kili. If you are curious about the age facts, this is ten years before the events in the book/movie and I am saying that for Fili and Kili, 72 and 67 is probably the dwarf equivalent to maybe 16 or 17, so they are teenagers more or less. For Asphodel, and later for Brenna, they're both the Hobbit/gnome equivalent of young teenagers as well. I know Tolkien didn't have gnomes in his books so we can say Gnomes and Hobbits age at the same rate. **

**Also, any doctors out there have any guesses on what I afflicted Fili with? I rely heavily on web MD to pick out my illness so I'd appreciate some doctors inputs.**


	7. Chapter 7

Days passed and the world seemed to melt away for Thorin and Kili. Bilbo had offered up one of his spare rooms to Fili, so that he would be more comfortable, but his condition continued to deteriorate. The little hobbit helped in whatever way he could, clearly sympathetic to the plight of the three dwarves that had suddenly appeared in his home.

Kili had been moved to a second room, against his will of course, so that he could recover his own strength. Thorin had been forced to put sleeping draught into his drinks in order to get him to lay down, as distraught as he was over his brother's condition. Thorin insisted on neglecting his own health until Astelia threatened to sedate him. So he and Kili took turns watching over Fili.

Over the next few days, Kili and Thorin had both improved. The hobbit's home was kept cool during the heat of the day and the pantry was well stocked. At first, neither of them were able to keep down much more than porridge, but slowly, they were able to take in more sustenance.

But their spirits remained in constant turmoil. Fili did not improve. He suffered as his fever was constant and he could keep very little down. Aches and pains plagued him and that sickly yellowish tint continued on. Astelia and Asphodel had been over constantly, administering herbal remedies and trying to keep the poor dwarf alive. It just didn't seem like enough and even Thorin was beginning to realize the inevitable.

On the fifth night, Thorin could do nothing as he watched yet another seizure wrack through his eldest nephews body. Fili shook and seized and his fever rose higher and higher. Thorin had never felt so helpless in all of his life. The stoic king was at the end of his rope. He was exhausted and he knew Fili was exhausted as well. He just wanted it to be over for him. He wanted to take away Fili's suffering somehow.

After the seizure passed, he had knelt down beside his nephew's now still body and still felt the fever radiating off of him. At this moment, Thorin could no longer hold back his tears. Fili was now too weak to take more than very shallow breaths and he became so ghostly pale, Thorin was sure he was on his final breaths.

Thorin had held the limp hand in his, and wept. He had known loss and grief before. He had lost his kingdom and his treasure. His grandfather and his father. His own brother. And so many dear friends. And in the past few weeks, he had lost his home in exile and his beloved sister. His closest friends had parted from him in search of a new life. His people were scattered and homeless. His peace and security that he had worked so hard to achieve in the Blue Mountains had been shattered.

All of that loss was hard to bear. But he carried all that loss as best as he could. He could suffer through what he had to in order to care for his people. But losing his nephews wasn't something he could have been prepared for. They had been the only thing that kept him going after losing Erebor and now, after this latest orc attack, they were all he had left in this life. The despair he felt as he watched Fili's life drain away was simply too much for the old dwarf king to handle. So, he wept. He wept until he couldn't anymore.

As dawn broke the following morning, Thorin lifted his weary head and gazed sadly at the seemingly lifeless form before him. He could see no movement whatsoever. He couldn't even see his nephew's chest rise. He swallowed hard and prepared himself as he reached forward to put a hand on his forehead. It was cool.

"Oh no…" he breathed as he moved forward and put his ear to Fili's chest. He knew this going to happen, he expected it at this point. But he still felt his breath hitch in his throat and felt the cold dread of fear as he tried to make out any signs of life.

_There!_ Thorin felt a small smile spread across his face as he felt Fili inhale a breath and then slowly let it out. And he heard the faint thump of his nephew's beating heart. He was alive.

"_Fili…"_ he breathed with relief and hope as he cupped his nephew's face with both of his hands, and, watched as Fili's deep blue eyes fluttered opened and gazed up at him.

"Uncle…" Fili murmured slowly. He coughed, but he voice sounded stronger. Noticeable warmth flowed through his skin, but the fever seemed to be slowly etching away.

"Thank Mahal," Thorin said, "I thought we had lost you."

"I'm tired," Fili breathed, gazing pitifully at his uncle, "And it hurts."

"I know," Thorin said as Fili gazed around at his surroundings. The door creaked suddenly.

"Fili!" Thorin turned just as Kili hurried to the other side of the bed, climbing up to get a better look at his brother.

"Where are we?" Fili asked as Thorin and Kili adjusted the pillows so that he could sit up slightly, "How did we get here? Where is Mum?"

Thorin arched his brow in concern as Kili looked to him with confusion.

"Don't you remember?" Kili asked. Fili looked at him, puzzled and as he shifted in bed a bit, he let out a bit of a cry as his hand went to his bandaged abdomen.

"Oww!" he exclaimed, "What happened?"

"Uh, is he alright?" Thorin glanced toward the door to see Bilbo peering at them from the doorway.

"Yes…" Thorin said hesitantly, inviting the hobbit to come in. Bilbo struggled to carry in three bowls of porridge and quickly set them on the nightstand near the bed.

"Who is that, Kili?" Fili asked, glancing at Bilbo wearily.

"Good to see you awake, Master Dwarf," Bilbo said simply, "I thought you might like some porridge. My sister will be along to check on you shortly."

"Okay…" Fili agreed slowly, glancing from Thorin to Kili for answers.

"We're in the shire, Fili, don't you remember?" Kili asked as he took a bowl of porridge, "Are you feeling well enough to try to eat? You need your strength."

Fili glanced warily at the bowl of porridge, as if unsure of its existence. He tried moving his hand and Thorin could see his muscles tense from the small effort.

"I…" Fili glanced at Thorin, "It's hard to move…" he said slowly, "I'm so tired and it hurts."

"You might have to help him eat it, Kili," Thorin said, propping Fili up more in bed. Fili gave Thorin a look of horror.

"Don't be a fool, you need to eat something," Thorin warned when Fili opened his mouth to protest as Kili lifted the spoon to his lips.

Fili's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment but he allowed Kili to feed him. Thorin watched the two of them interact for awhile. This was the first major improvement to Fili's condition, but Thorin knew they would have awhile to go.

"Ah, he looks much better!" came a feminine voice and Thorin turned to see Astelia and Asphodel enter the room. Fili looked horrified as Kili was just helping him eat the last of his porridge.

"He had a very hard night, his fever rose," Thorin said as he stood and allowed Astelia to examine Fili, "And he seems to be having some memory problems."

Fili looked at the hobbit woman as she placed a hand on his forehead and neck.

"His fever is going down," Astelia said, smiling at Fili as he gazed up at her in confusion, "But he is still very ill. How do you feel, Young Dwarf?"

"Tired…" Fili said, "Who are you?"

"He had some seizures," Thorin told her, as Kili helped Fili lie back down.

"My name is Astelia," the hobbit woman said kindly, "You are in the home of my brother, Bilbo Baggins. And this is my daughter, Asphodel. We've been helping to take care of you when you were ill."

"Where is my Mum?" Fili asked her, before glancing at Kili and at Thorin, "Isn't she here too?"

Thorin swallowed hard as he came forward, "Don't you remember, Fili?"

"Remember what?"

"What is the last thing you remember, Brother?" Kili asked with concern.

"We were swimming in the lake," Fili responded, "And then Mum made trout and we had dinner and talked about learning crafts and then Kili and I went to bed."

Astelia glanced at Thorin, "Did those events take place?" she asked.

"Yes," Thorin responded, slowly. Fili had forgotten all of the tragedy that had befallen them. He still thought he was back in the Blue Mountains! and Thorin had to tell him all over again.

"That was over a month ago now…" Kili said, glancing up at Thorin, "How could he forget…"

"Forget what, Kili?" Fili demanded again, agitation in his voice, "Would you please tell me what happened?"

Thorin sighed. He hadn't planned on telling the hobbits what had happened to them. As soon as Fili was better he planned to thank Bilbo for his hospitality and move on. They need not know their plight. And he dreaded having to break Fili's heart again.

But Kili made that move before he could say anything, "Orcs came, Fili," he began, "They were looking for Uncle, I think. They destroyed the village…"

"All of it?" Fili looked at him as if he was making it all up, "Where's Mum, then?"

"She… she died, Fili." Kili said softly, "It was just you, me, Ori, and Gimli for awhile."

"No!" Fili exclaimed, "That can't be right!"

"It is!" Kili argued, "We thought Uncle was dead too! You were our leader! We were wandering the forest until he found us. He had some survivors with him, but they were very few. And then we decided to separate from the others so we could look for a new home and because the orcs are still looking for uncle! Then you got sick we all nearly starved to death and that is how we ended up here!"

Fili looked horrified and distressed. His breathing increased as he looked over at Thorin for confirmation, "He's telling a joke, isn't he Uncle!"

"Shh, Fili," Thorin put an arm on his shoulder, "Just rest. You need to rest."

Fili turned away and closed his eyes. Thorin glanced at the bewildered looking Hobbits.

"We should let him sleep," Astelia said softly, "Come now."

"I'm sorry…" Kili said, realizing that he'd blurted out everything. He reached out to gently brush a strand of hair from Fili's face, "I'm sorry, Brother…"

"Don't leave me, Brother," Fili said softly, "You won't will you?"

"You can stay in here with him," Thorin said when Kili glanced up at him, "Let us know if you need anything."

Thorin bent down and put his forehead against Fili's for a brief moment, grateful to feel and hear him breathing, "It's going to be alright, Nephew," he said softly, "We'll all get through this. You are going to get better and I am going to take care of you both. I promise."

Kili snuggled up against his brother and Thorin squeezed his hand reassuringly before he followed the hobbits out into Bilbo's tiny dining room.

"Was everything he said true?" Bilbo asked as he sat beside Astelia and Asphodel, "About the orcs?"

"Yes," Thorin replied carefully as he sat down across the table from them, "The orcs destroyed our village and their mother was killed in the attack."

"The orcs won't come here, will they?" Asphodel asked, worry in her voice as she glanced between Astelia and Bilbo.

"The Blue Mountains is a bit of a distance from here," Bilbo reassured her, "And orcs haven't been seen in these parts for many decades." But he turned to Thorin, "Those Orcs, why were they hunting you?"

"I'm not sure," Thorin responded, careful not to reveal his royal identity, "We haven't run into Orcs since we cleared the area of them nearly a century ago. Their attack was quite sudden, I don't know who could have sent them."

"You are homeless then," Astelia said, "Are there others like you?"

"I have other kin who survived the attack," Thorin said, thinking about Balin and the others and wondering how they were faring, "But we made the decision to separate. It's just the three of us now, we are searching for a new home. We were on our way to Bree before Fili fell ill, I was hoping to find work there."

Thorin watched the hobbits closely. He had no intention of settling here in the shire, but he didn't want to be thrown out right now either. He knew he had no right to impose on them and Bilbo was well within his rights to ask him to leave. But Fili's life was still fragile and he didn't think they would make it too far if they left now.

Thorin had once been forced to humble himself to strangers. After the escape from Erebor, his people were homeless and starving, much like he and his nephews were now. They had found themselves forced to live at the mercies of other races, first living in the villages of men before settling in the Blue Mountains where their survival had still depended heavily upon trade with men.

Now, he was at the mercy of these hobbits. He watched Bilbo closely.

"Let them stay, Uncle," Asphodel suddenly pleaded, glancing at Bilbo, "Please?"

Bilbo frowned and looked at her and then back at Thorin, "It's not that I don't mind the company," He began, "But I don't want the Sackville Baggins to find out, and I don't want people to talk."

"Let the Sackville Baggins talk all they want!" Astelia exclaimed, glaring at Bilbo, "I never cared about what they thought."

"And I am a little concerned about the orcs that are hunting you," Bilbo pointed out, "We've never had an orc problem in the shire and I don't want want them to follow you here. This is the shire, after all, we are a peaceful folk and its not our concern what goes on outside our borders."

Thorin swallowed a bit. He didn't want the orcs to follow them there either. They hadn't run into any orcs since they fled the village but he would be a fool to think they weren't still hunting him. They wouldn't know to look for Dwarves in the shire, but Thorin would hate for his kind hosts to be affected by their problems.

"I'll let you stay here until your nephew has fully recovered," Bilbo said after a long while, "After that, we'll see, I suppose. Do you or your nephews have gardening skills?"

"No, we're Dwarves," Thorin responded, "I am afraid my people haven't much use for agriculture. But we are skilled craftsmen, I am a blacksmith and Fili and Kili haven't learned a craft of their own, but Fili has an interest in stone working and Kili enjoys work working."

"Ah, well those are all well and good," Bilbo said, "But it's high time you learned how to grow your own food, Master Dwarf. I'd be happy to teach you."

Thorin grumbled a bit at the thought of having to plow fields and pick weeds. But nodded his head in agreement.

"We are in your debt, Master Baggins," he said gratefully. He breathed a sigh of relief. For now, he and his nephews were safe.

**Poor Dwarves. Hehe I feel like Thorin and his nephews are like lost puppies and Asphodel just asked Bilbo if she could keep them. Oh and for all of you who guessed about Fili's ailment, it was yellow fever.**


	8. Chapter 8

Kili lay nestled besides his older brother, watching him sleep. Fili stirred, moaning a bit in his sleep and Kili could tell that he was still fighting the illness. But he looked better, that sickly yellow hue was beginning to fade. He had managed to keep down his breakfast so far.

Kili glanced up when he heard the door creak opened. Asphodel walked in slowly and Kili motioned for her to be quiet lest she wake his slumbering brother. She came in and sat down in the chair beside the bed, glancing at Fili.

"He just got to sleep," Kili explained, propping himself up on the bed to look at her over Fili's body, "I think he'll be okay now."

"My mother wanted me to come check on him," Asphodel said, placing her small hand on Fili's forehead, "How are you feeling, Master Dwarf?"

"Good," Kili said. Trying to sound convincing. He trained his eyes on Fili's sleeping form, not wanting her to see.

He was full, and that was the best he had felt in weeks. But with the recovery of health and relative safety, Kili had been plagued by the trauma of what he had experienced and his fear of losing his big brother only amplified this.

Last night, as Fili fought for his life, Kili had awoken in the next room, gasping for breath. The nightmare had been so real. The village was on fire, the orcs were everywhere and everyone he loved was lost. He was alone in this world.

It was only a dream. A terrible dream. But he could not shake it. And he couldn't let anyone know. He be weak, especially around all these hobbits.

"My father died last year," said Asphodel, suddenly, after the two shared a long silence. Kili glanced up at her. She looked at him with her large green eyes, gleaming in the soft light through the window, "He got sick…"

"I'm sorry," Kili said, thinking about his mother, "I never knew my father. Uncle has always taken care of us. And Mother…"

"My uncle helps out too," Asphodel said, "He's a very kind Hobbit, though Mother says he used to be quite mischievous when they were young. He and father were close friends."

Asphodel sat quietly for a moment, as if contemplating something. Kili watched her. He realized she was trying to cheer him up, but seemed unsure of how to go about doing it. Then, quite suddenly, she jolted out of her chair and gave him a smile, "Can I show you something?"

Kili was reluctant to leave Fili. He glanced down at him uneasily.

"It will only be a moment," she assured him, "He needs his rest."

Kili got up and followed her. She led him out into the dining area where Thorin was still talking with Astelia and Bilbo.

"Kili?" Thorin looked at him, "Is Fili alright?"

"Yes, he's asleep," Kili responded, "Though he's still in a lot of pain."

"Yes, that will last awhile," Astelia explained, "Muscle pains."

"Mother, I am going to show him our garden," Asphodel said, "We'll only be a moment."

"Ah… what if someone sees you?" Bilbo asked, looking concerned.

"Well what if they do," Astelia scolded, "What were you planning to do, hide three dwarves in your home and expect them to stay hidden? Some fresh air would be very good for the lad."

"Okay…" Bilbo conceded and Kili glanced at at Thorin sheepishly before Asphodel grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the door.

Kili was surprised to find that the heat was not so intense this evening. A gentle breeze blew through his hair as he gazed around at the rolling hills and little paths of the shire. A hobbit hole was carved into many of the hills, all with bright colored round doors. Cattle and livestock roamed about in fields surrounding them.

Asphodel led Kili to a hobbit hole with a bright yellow door. They passed through the little white gate and moved around to the rear of the hill where Kili found a small garden sprawling out from the rear door.

"My uncle taught me how to plant these," Asphodel explained, kneeling down to pick a piece of lavender, "I did it all myself. We have herbs for medicines and herbs for cooking. I mix all the medicines Mother uses for healing."

"Have you and your family always been healers?" Kili asked, quite impressed with the pretty plants and greens spreading out before him. He watched as Asphodel moved about to gather a few bundles of herbs, "And gardeners?"

"All hobbits love to grow things," Asphodel explained, "We love to grow beautiful gardens and crops… but my mother is the only apothecarist in the area. Father was a farmer; he helped with the grain fields."

Asphodel finished gathering her herbs and came over to Kili and handed him a piece of chamomile, "We can make a tea for your brother," she said, "This will help sooth his stomach and help him to sleep."

Kili couldn't help but feel better. Asphodel had a cheerful, sweet demeanor and it made him feel much more at ease.

"Do Dwarves garden?" Asphodel asked as they walked leisurely back towards Bag End.

"No," Kili said, "We craft things and we are warriors. My uncle is a blacksmith; he made tools and weapons out of iron. Or he did, before…" Kili trailed away, looking sad as he remembered that they no longer had a home.

"I enjoy wood crafts and Uncle was going to teach Fili and I our own crafts," he continued, sadly, "Before the orcs came."

"I am sorry, Master Dwarf," Asphodel responded.

"You can call me Kili," Kili corrected her, "We are all grateful to you and your family for taking us in."

"Kili," Asphodel replied, "You do not have to abandon your crafts. Your skills would be very useful here. Hobbits can build hobbit holes well enough but we prefer to devote ourselves to our gardens and our fields. And to eating, of course."

"Eating" Kili said with a chuckle, "We have something in common, then."

Kili realized he had much in common with Asphodel, more so than the love of food. She was being raised by her mother and her uncle, just as he was, though her father's loss was obviously still being felt, Kili could see the sadness in her eyes.

But Kili also realized that it had been a long time since he felt happy enough to laugh and to joke. It felt good, and he wished it would last.

"Eating, ales, and pipe weed," Asphodel said with a laugh, "We hobbits are experts in those fields."

"You'll have some competition now-"

"Asphodel!" Kili was cut off when two hobbits stormed up to them.

"Uh oh, it's the Sackville-Bagginses!" Asphodel whispered to Kili, "Longo and Camellia."

"Where are you off to with that… Dwarf?" Camellia demanded. Kili raised a brow when she emphasized the word dwarf as if it left a foul taste in her mouth.

"He is a house guest of my Uncle Bilbo," Asphodel explained. Her explanation seemed to shock the two hobbits even more.

"That Bilbo Baggins is housing dwarves in our midst!" Longo proclaimed, "How distasteful! Unsavory folk, they are!"

Kili opened his mouth to protest, but Asphodel beat him to it, "You are the ones who are unsavory!" she shot back, "All you ever do is judge my uncle. Its because you are jealous that he has Bag End and you don't!"

"Hmph!" Camellia scoffed, "Just wait. We'll tell everyone we know that Bilbo is housing Dwarves! Soon he'll be housing men and elves and maybe even Orcs! And then the shire will be overrun with these rif raf!"

Asphodel rolled her eyes. Kili remained silent as the two hobbits continued to hurl jives and insults at him and his people.

"Greedy, hairy, uncultured creatures," Longo continued, "You won't catch me socializing with the likes of them."

"You shouldn't be seen with him," Camellia added, in a more hushed tone, as if she was speaking for Asphodel's benefit, "You don't want people to talk, do you?"

"I don't care what you think of me or my kin," Asphodel responded, "I'm free to be seen with whom I will! and you'll do well to leave my Uncle Bilbo alone!"

With that, Asphodel motioned for Kili to follow her, and the two of them left Camellia and Longo Baggins in their wake.

"I hope our presence here does not make trouble for you and your family," Kili said as they burst into the front entrance of Bag End, "We don't want to be trouble."

"The Sackville-Bagginses make their own trouble," Asphodel explained, "They are jealous of Uncle's wealth, they think they should be the rulers of Bag End and of the shire itself. Their greedy and obnoxious and like to stir up trouble."

Kili nodded. He and Asphodel found the others talking in the parlour, Bilbo and Thorin both enjoying their pipes. Kili was most surprised to find Fili sitting on the parlour sofa, leaning slightly on Thorin.

"Fili!" Kili exclaimed with a happy grin, as he moved to join him on the sofa, "So good to see you up and about, Brother."

Fili returned his brother's smile. It seemed he was on the mend, though it was clear he was still hurting. Kili suddenly felt sad as he glanced over at Asphodel as she told Astelia and Bilbo about their run in with the Sackville-Bagginses. Kili realized that once Fili was better, they would most likely be moving on and he found he didn't want to leave the shire.

**Just a cute little chapter. There will be another cute little chapter after this… just don't expect it to last. There are many storms on the horizon… and yeah, Kili is suffering from a little bit of post-traumatic stress.**


	9. Chapter 9

In the days following Fili's near death, he continued to improve until all trace of the disease melted away, leaving him exhausted, but alive. About two weeks after arriving in the shire, Thorin decided it was time to move on. They had imposed on the hobbits long enough and this was not their home.

But that night, Fili was awakened by what sounded like moans and whimpering. Rubbing his eyes as the darkened room came into focus, he strained to listen closer. He knew what that sound was. Sighing, he glanced to his left where Kili lay nestled beside him. Only the brunette dwarf was not sleeping soundly. Sweat glistened from his forehead as his head swayed back and forth.

"No…" He moaned and Fili sat up and watched closely. Kili was having a nightmare.

Fili shook his brother gently, but only got a sharp cry as Kili remained entrenched in deep sleep.

"No, please!" he cried, "Leave me alone! Don't hurt me!"

Fili shook him harder and he shot up into a sitting position, gasping and panting.

"Another nightmare?" Fili asked with concern. Kili just nodded as he tried to suppress a sob. This was the third night in a row, Fili was getting concerned. His brother's silhouetted frame shivered in the dark and when Fili opened up his arms, Kili collapsed into him, sniffing and shaking.

"Why won't it stop…" Kili whispered, his voice muffled as he hid his face in the soft fabric of Fili's night tunic, "They come every night! Why can't they leave me alone?"

"They?" Fili asked, stroking his brother's mangled hair, "You mean the Orcs?"

Kili nodded with a sob, "They keep hurting you… and Uncle and Mother…"

"Shh…" Fili soothed, rubbing Kili's back soothingly.

"I miss Mum…" Kili said softly, and Fili winced a bit.

"I miss her too," Fili replied, feeling his eyes a little wet, "It's going to be okay, Brother. We'll find a new home and rebuild what we had in the Blue Mountains."

"Do you think we will ever see Balin and Gimli and Ori and the others again?" Kili asked. Fili sighed. He didn't know what was in store for them.

"I think so," he said finally, squeezing his brother tight, "We have to hope."

They sat in silence for a moment later and then, "I'm so glad you are alright, Brother," Kili whimpered, "I was so scared. Don't leave me…"

"Shh…" Fili hushed. Finally, Kili drifted off to sleep and Fili lowered him back onto his pillow. Lying down beside his brother, Fili drifted off to sleep again.

When he opened his eyes, the early morning sun lit up the room and Fili started when he heard the door creak opened. Glancing over, he saw Thorin's bulky figure in the doorway.

"It's time," Thorin said, "Get your brother up."

"He needs a little more time, Uncle," Fili said, "He didn't sleep well."

"Alright, get ready yourself then," Thorin responded, "He can sleep until Master Baggins finishes our breakfast."

Thorin left and Fili got dressed quickly. His furs, his armor, light tan tunic, and trousers. It was what he and his brother wore when they fled the village. He and his brother and uncle had had to make do with hobbit clothes while Astelia had had their own garments repaired.

He set out Kili's tunic and jerkin for him and then got their weapons together. His multitude of throwing knives and axes, his double scabbard, his twin swords that Thorin had made for him. And Kili's sword, bow, quiver, and arrows. He headed out into the dining room with them.

The smell of sausage and ham filled the air as Fili found Thorin sitting at Bilbo's table while the little hobbit scurried about in the kitchen, muttering about how the dwarves had been eating him out of house and home. The dwarf king glanced up from his mug of tea when his nephew dumped his cargo of weapons down into an empty chair and sat down across from him.

"How are you feeling?" Thorin asked as he watched Fili closely.

"Much better," Fili said. His muscle pains were mostly gone. He felt tired and drained but he felt much better than he had when they arrived. He knew he had very close to death and as he looked back on it, there were times he had even hoped for death, his misery had been so extreme.

Just then, Astelia and Asphodel burst through the entrance and joined them at the table.

"You didn't think we'd let you leave without saying goodbye," Astelia said. She and Asphodel each carried a large leather traveler's pack, "We packed you some things to help you on the road."

Bilbo came in and set two more table settings for them.

"Where is your brother?" Asphodel asked as she lowered herself into a chair beside Fili while Astelia showed Thorin what was in the packs.

"Here," Came a voice from behind them. Glancing up, they found Kili as he made his way to the table and sat on the other side of Fili. He looked weary, there were circles under his eyes and it was clear he needed more sleep.

"You look terrible!" Asphodel exclaimed, glancing at him, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he said, waving her off, "I'll be alright."

"You look much better, Master Fili," Astelia said, "We made you some herbal concoctions and medicines to help you on the road. Pain ointments, sleeping draughts, anesthetics, that sort of thing. And you'll find some canteens and blankets and a number of other things you are sure to need on the road in here as well."

"Thank you," Thorin said, "We will not forget your kindness."

Bilbo came in and served all of them their breakfast. It was a hearty meal of eggs, ham, sausage, and potatoes. Fili dug in eagerly, while Kili picked at his food distractedly."

"Eat as much as you can," Thorin told him, "This may the last good meal you have for awhile."

Fili could see the troubled look on his brother's face. It was clear that his dreams and nightmares were still haunting him. But he tried to suppress it, making a better effort to eat and appease his uncle.

"Where will your road be if you cannot find work in Bree?" Bilbo asked as he ate. Thorin shrugged,

"I am not sure," he said, "Perhaps south to the sea."

Fili thought of the possibilities as he watched his uncle. He had never been outside the Blue Mountains, though his uncle had stories of the rest of middle earth. Thorin's time as a wanderer, in the time after Erebor was taken from him, would come in handy for them now.

Just then, there was a loud pounding on the door. Bilbo rushed to open it and the Sackville-Bagginses stormed in.

"Bilbo Baggins, are you still housing dwarves in our town!" Camellia exclaimed, shoving past Bilbo and glaring at the table of Dwarves. Fili glanced at Kili and Thorin and Thorin got up and joined Bilbo at the door.

"Madam, I assure you we do not wish to impose on your community," the king began, "Master Baggins was kind enough to house us while my nephew recovered from illness."

"Disease!" Longo exclaimed, coming in behind his wife, "You'll spread it to us!"

"Ah, it's no matter," Bilbo said, "Who I house in my home is none of your concern."

Fili stayed at the table with Kili and Asphodel while Bilbo, Thorin, and Astelia tried to reason with the Sackville-Bagginses. He had heard about his brother's encounter with them a few days ago and since then, they had been seen lurking about the area almost constantly. They had followed poor Bilbo around when he had gone to the market, they had been caught snooping around near Bag End, and they had threatened to have the Dwarves removed. They had gone so far as to imply that Asphodel was way too friendly towards Kili.

"It's no matter now!" Longo exclaimed, "We did some checking. Thought you'd like to know who it was that you are housing."

Alarms went off in Fili's head. What did these angry hobbits learn about them? He exchanged glances with his brother who wore the same concerned expression.

"He's an exiled king!" Camellia exclaimed, waving a finger at Thorin, "Who's being hunted by _Orcs!"_

Bilbo glanced at Thorin, who said nothing. What could he say? Fili swallowed as he found Asphodel glancing at the two of them.

"Is that true?" she asked, "Your uncle is a king?"

"Yeah," Fili admitted, "We didn't want anyone to know, it was too dangerous."

"I understand," Asphodel said, "But if he's a king, then are you… princes?"

"Yes," Kili said, "Fili is Thorin's heir."

"Wow!" Asphodel exclaimed excitedly, "I've never met a prince before!"

Bilbo continued to argue, pointing out that the Dwarves were preparing to leave and there was nothing to be concerned about. But the Sackville-Bagginses had apparently already convinced themselves that the Shire would be destroyed by their presence.

"What if those Orcs come here looking for them?!" Camellia exclaimed, "And you are too much of a liability, Bilbo Baggins!"

"What, a liability!" Bilbo scowled, "What are you saying?"

"We don't want to run the risk of you or your sister bringing any more unsavory characters into the shire," Longo began, "So we took care of the situation."

"He did not bring us, Master Hobbit," Thorin said, "We arrived here ourselves. And as Master Baggins has said, we will be leaving and we will not be returning."

"It's too late for that," Longo said, "We've taken steps to ensure that we have no more unwanted visitors. I'm sure the other Hobbits would be thankful for our intervention."

"What intervention are you talking about?" Astelia asked. And just as she said that, they were interrupted by a noise from outside. The Sackville-Bagginses moved away from the opened door to reveal what appeared to be a large prisoner carriage with two mounted horses and about five large men.

Immediately, Fili was on his feet, sensing danger and reaching for one of his swords. Kili did the same as the three of them moved to stand with Thorin and Bilbo.

"What is this?" Bilbo asked, confused as one of the men came forward. He looked frightening; he was extremely large, even for a man. He wore nothing but a pair of trousers and a harness upon which were many nasty looking whips, daggers, and swords. Muscles erupted all over his large body, and Fili could see numerous faded scars. He glared over at the group of Hobbits and Dwarves.

"Are these the ones?" he asked in a dark voice, as he glanced at Longo and Camellia.

"Yes, how much will you offer us for the lot?" Longo asked. Bilbo's mouth dropped as realization dawned on everyone. The men were slave mongerers.

"Three hobbits and three dwarves," the man said, studying them closely, "I've never dealt in Hobbits before, but Dwarves are very hard to break in. I am not sure we can find a buyer who will be willing to take them."

"Ah but surely you can handle stubborn slaves," Longo said, "And they are all kin to one another."

"Besides, they are of royal blood," Camellia put in, "Surely you can fetch a high price for them."

"Very well, I'll pay you 100 gold for the lot."

"100!" Longo protested, "Surely they are worth more than that! Hobbits make great slaves after all, and these three are well acquainted with hard labor in the fields."

"Not so fast," Thorin said, pulling out his sword, "We are not going to be sold to you."

The large man grinned and his four equally large companions quickly moved in with swords and daggers, one had a bow.

"I would lower your weapon, Dwarf, less you want someone here to come to a bad end," the man warned, "My associate is a very good shot."

Fili whipped out his own sword and moved to defend the three hobbits, but was quickly halted as an arrow flew past him, narrowly missing and impaling itself into the wall behind him. Fili moved back quickly just as Kili drew his own bow.

"Drop it," the human archer warned, aiming at Kili, "Or you'll be dead before your next breath."

Fili gasped as his reckless brother just glared in return, reaching behind to grab an arrow.

"Kili, put it down!" Fili shouted as the bowman drew back his bowstring, "Now!"

Asphodel let out a panicked scream as the bowman shot out a warning arrow at the young dwarf, knocking him off his feet as the arrow whizzed past him, nicking him in the side of the head before drilling into the wall just below the first arrow. As Fili helped his brother up, he felt anger well up inside him when he saw a thin trail of blood making its way lazily down the side of Kili's right temple.

"Mother…" Asphodel whispered softly, fear in her voice as she held onto Astelia.

"Longo, we are family," Bilbo pointed out, "Do you think the rest of the shire will let you do this to us? You are selling your own people!"

"They won't interfere," Camellia scowled, "They don't want to be involved in this ugly business, after all. Now then, I would cooperate if I were you."

"Get into the cart," The first large man ordered, as the bowman aimed an arrow at Thorin, who still held his sword, "If you cooperate, no one need get hurt. Our clients prefer unspoiled slaves."

Thorin saw no choice. He was certain he could overpower the bowman, but not before he had the chance to hurt someone he cared for. He was trapped, he knew. Cursing in khuzdul, he let his sword clash to the ground. "We'll get out of this," he whispered to his nephews as he allowed two of the men to come forward and remove and more weapons, and fit his arms, legs, and neck with collars and chains.

Fili felt nauseous at the sight of his uncle being chained up like an animal. But he forced himself to remain calm as the men moved over to search him and chain him. Soon, all six of them were in bondage and being led out to the carriage where they are shoved into the caged rear of the carriage.

The cage was large, but with six bodies crammed into it, it was a tight, uncomfortable fit. Fili was crammed up against the metal bars and his brother as the two of them sat together on the cold metal floor of the carriage. He heard one of the hobbits yelp as they were all manhandled into the carriage and the door slammed shut.

With their prisoners safely secure, the men proceeded to haggle with the Sackville-Bagginses over the price, finally agreeing to 300 gold pieces for the six of them. The Sackville-Bagginses looked pleased with their sale, as they were also getting Bad End for their trouble. Bilbo could only look on from his prison as Camellia and Longo went about inspecting his home and making it their own.

"I am sorry for this…" Fili heard Thorin mutter to the three terrified hobbits as the men got onto the carriage and they began to move away from Bad End.

**Yep. I told you there were storms on the horizon. I'm loving all the awesome reviews, they definitely fuel my motivation. Keep em coming!**


	10. Chapter 10

Thorin winced as the cramped cage jolted and rattled as the men traveled down a rugged path. They were a few days out from the shire now and heading south, in the opposite direction of Bree.

"My back…" Kili complained as he sat crammed against the metal bars and his brother, "Everything hurts."

"Try not to think about it" Fili told him, though the discomfort was clearly marked upon his face as well.

Summer was beginning to pass by now and with it; the intense heat was beginning to ebb away. But the sun was still hot enough to heat up the metal bars of their cage, scalding anyone who touched it. And the cage they were in was made of metal and was far too small to fit six beings.

"Where do you think we are heading?" Bilbo asked, glancing at Thorin, "Do you know this road?"

"Not well," Thorin responded, "We are going south towards the sea, close to the realm of Gondor. That is all I know."

Thorin had watched the five men constantly. He studied them, tried to listen in on their conversation, looking for any chance to escape. As of yet, he had no chance. The metal cage they were in was well built and their weapons had been confiscated.

The men seemed to pay them very little attention. They conversed with one another about business and irrelevant topics, taking note of their cargo only on the two nights they had stopped to make camp. In those instances, the Dwarves and hobbits had been tossed a few pieces of bread and dried meat and canteens full of dirty water. It was clear to Thorin that they were seen as little more than dogs to these men.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a king?" Bilbo asked bluntly, "Is that why the orcs are hunting you?"

"I didn't want you to be involved in our predicament," Thorin responded, glancing at the three hobbits, feeling the guilt well up in him once again, "And I am sorry that you are now."

"Now don't go thinking like that," Astelia responded, "If you hadn't shown up on Bilbo's doorstep, you would all be dead now. And the Sackville-Bagginses are most certainly not your predicament, Dear Dwarf. They've been a menace to us as long as they've existed."

"Why did they do that?" Kili asked, "What do they want?"

"The Sackville-Bagginses aren't like other hobbits," Bilbo began, "Longo is my Uncle, the brother of my father in fact. But they've never been very kind."

"Most of us hobbits are simple folk," Astelia said, "We are content to enjoy a peaceful, slow pace of life." She glanced at the Dwarves, "But Longo and Camellia are much more materialistic and greedy. They are envious of Bilbo because Bag End is one of the largest hobbit holes in the shire."

"This isn't the first scheme they've hatched to try and get it," Bilbo put in, "Unfortunately, this is the only scheme of theirs that seems to be working."

"Look!" Asphodel suddenly exclaimed pointing her finger forwards. Thorin glanced over as they came around a rock formation and the ocean came into view. Thorin was comforted by the breeze and the salty air, but as he craned his head to try to see the road ahead, he frowned.

They were heading to what looked to be a massive walled city. Out in the water, Thorin could see various small vessels.

"I do not recognize this city," Thorin said as their carriage passed effortlessly through the gates.

It was a port city; that much was clear. The narrow, winding cobblestone streets all seemed to lead to the docks. The small homes and buildings were built in a cluster surrounding the ocean.

As their carriage moved along the docks, Thorin could see piers jutted out into the water. Small wooden fishing boats and larger ships all lay moored along the piers. Large men moved about, carrying fish and cargo to and from the docks.

They eventually came to what appeared to be a large sprawling market place. Stalls and tables were everywhere, arranged in a maze and filling every centimeter of the large opened area just to the right of the docks. Merchants and fishermen and artisans all seemed to move about, selling their wares. There were exotic spices, fruit and vegetables, live livestock and poultry, artist crafts, all kinds of things that Thorin figured was probably brought in from all over middle earth via the sea. It was a very lively place, men moved about them as their carriage passed through. No one seemed to care or take notice of the carriage full of Dwarves and Hobbits that meandered through them.

They entered an area near the edge of this huge commercial area which seemed to be the designated area for farmers to sell their animals. Humans moved about this area, inspecting the large variety of animals for sale. From dogs to various kinds of steeds to ranch animals to exotic creatures Thorin had never seen before. Some were in large cages and some were tied to poles and fixtures.

Amidst the maze of animals for sale, Thorin also found that people were also for sale here. Small hobbit like creatures were being held in cages or tied to poles. The dirty, sad faces gazed toward the carriage while merchants and traders yelled their sales pitch to the five men as they strode by, saying their servants were the best and needed little discipline.

Their carriage finally came to a halt in front of one of one particularly large iron cage. Thorin thought he saw something moving around inside but he couldn't be certain. The five men got out of their carriage and came around to face the caged Dwarves. As soon as their cage door was opened, two of the men reached in and grabbed Thorin, yanking him harshly out and throwing him to the ground.

Thorin quickly scrambled to his feet as he was man handled by two men while the other three yanked everyone else out. Thorin winced as his sore muscles protested the sudden movement after having been bent into that cage for so long. His first thought was of overpowering and escaping from the men, but that idea was quickly dashed when one of the men grabbed Kili and pulled the young dwarf close, putting a sharp dagger against his throat.

"Now I don't want you thinking you can escape," said the ring leader of the group, "But just in case you do, if you try anything, Bargo here will cut this young one a new smile."

Thorin narrowed his eyes and swore in khuzdul at the men, but did not struggle as he was led towards the larger cage. He wouldn't risk his nephew's life. Not that he could get very far in these chains in any case. He wore iron shackles around his neck and wrists that were connected by large metal chains, making it impossible to spread his arms out wide. The shackles were too small and dug painfully into his skin. He also wore shackles connected to large iron balls on each ankle. The balls dragged heavily with each step. The others were equally chained.

They were shoved, one by one, into the larger cage and the door was slammed shut and the men simply left, not even bothering with them any further. They climbed into their carriage and rode off.

Thorin got to his feet and looked around. Their cage was large and wide enough for them to move around comfortably. It offered little protection from the elements and Thorin was grateful for the ocean breeze, though he realized it could get very cold when the sun set.

"Hey! Ah!" Bilbo shrieked as something launched at him. Thorin whirled in time to see the hobbit go down suddenly, as something charged him full force.

"Let him go!" Astelia exclaimed as Asphodel hurried over to defend her uncle. Thorin quickly moved forward, grabbing the thing and throwing it into the rear bars. He immediately felt guilty when he got a better look at what he had just shoved.

The small woman crumpled to the floor, the force of his throw knocking her off balance. She quickly got to her feet and as she did so, she was joined by another small woman.

"Stay away," the first woman demanded, quickly moving to protect the other one, "Keep your distance." She put up her fists aggressively, not at all discouraged by the fact that there were six of them and only two of her.

"What manners," Astelia scolded helping Bilbo to his feet, "Do you often go attacking your cell mates?"

"I'll protect myself and my daughter if I must," she responded, not backing down from her defensive stance, "Just stay away."

Thorin regarded the two of them for a moment. He was not sure he could identify their race. They were both small, a few inches shorter than Bilbo and Astelia. They appeared quite similar to hobbits, but instead of large pointed ears and hairy feet, they had large round ears- similar to dwarves; and small hairless feet.

"What are you, anyway?" the mother asked as she glanced around at the six of them. She was filthy, it was clear she had been living in this cage for some time. Her light brown hair was long and matted and she wore a faded maroon colored cotton dress. Her daughter was in similar condition, a frail looking frame with her dark blonde hair and green dress.

"Hobbits of the shire," Bilbo answered her question, brushing himself off before stepping forward. The woman held up her fists again in warning and Bilbo bowed a bit, holding his hands out to show he meant no harm, "My name is Bilbo Baggins. This is my sister, Astelia and my niece, Asphodel. We won't hurt you; I can assure you of that."

"I've never heard of a hobbit before," the mother said, "And what are they?" she pointed a finger and glared at Thorin, clearly angry that he had shoved her.

"They are Dwarves," Bilbo explained, "Haven't you ever heard of a dwarf before?"

"I suppose I have," the woman said, wearily, "I've just never seen one before."

"The last people they had in here with us weren't very friendly," the daughter pointed out, "But you should know, Gnomes are stronger than we look. We aren't defenseless."

Thorin had a hard time believing that a creature smaller than even a hobbit could pose much of a threat to anyone, but he didn't respond. Instead, Fili and Kili stepped forward,

"We've never heard of Gnomes," Fili said, "I'm Fili, he's Kili and that is our Uncle Thorin. Maybe you can tell us how long you have been captive here."

"More than a week," the mother said, relaxing her guard a bit, "They have been trying to sell us and we must stay here until they do."

Thorin didn't like the sound of that. They'd have to live in this cage until someone took an interest in their service as servants.

"They have been selling gnomes here for a long time," the daughter added, "They trade us as if we were sheep and cattle. We've never seen any Dwarves pass by these parts, nor have we seen Hobbits."

Thorin sighed, "How long ago did the last inhabitants leave here then?" he asked. It seemed that their questions had begun to put the two small women at better ease. They no longer took a defensive posture, though the mother still stayed close to her daughter.

"Just a few days ago," the mother said and then she looked away, as if talking suddenly brought her pain.

"We're just trying to assess the situation so we can find a way to escape," Bilbo assured them.

"Don't bother," the mother said softly, "There is no way to escape."

"The last occupants were violent," the daughter said softly while her mother tried to compose herself. The girl's voice wavered a bit, "Gnomes aren't usually violent but these ones were. They got into a brawl with Father and the Slave Mongers punished him…"

"Oh…" Bilbo said as he understood, "Say no more. I am very sorry to hear that."

"You poor things," said Astelia, sympathetically, coming forward to pull the mother into a comforting embrace, "I lost my husband recently too. It's really awful."

"What was your name?" Asphodel asked, coming over to the daughter.

"Brenna," the girl responded, "My mother is Bringen."

After awhile of friendly banter, the sun began to set and their new acquaintances, Bringen and Brenna retreated to the far corner of the cage while the hobbits congregated in the center and Thorin joined his nephews in the other corner.

"What now, Uncle?" Fili asked as night began to set in and a colder breeze began to set in, "How are we going to get out of here?"

"I don't know," Thorin said, as the fog began to accumulate around them, "But we will. Somehow."

"You don't think they will separate us, do you?" Kili asked as he and Fili huddled next to Thorin for warmth.

Thorin grimaced a bit. He had thought of that possibility and it terrified him.

"No," he finally told Kili, "I won't let them. Now, try and get some sleep."

Thorin lay down with a nephew lying on either side of him and stared up at the metal roof of their new prison. He hoped he sounded more confident about their situation than he felt.

** There you go. Sorry for the delay! Thanks for all the awesome reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

The eight of them lived in the cage for days while humans examined them like they were animals. Their chains and shackles remained in place and Kili desperately wanted to stretch his arms out. They were thrown scraps of food by passerbys, but were largely ignored. Kili felt humiliated for being on display like a circus attraction.

Kili had begun to wonder how they had come to this situation. He longed desperately for the life they had had before where he had very little to worry about and everything was peaceful and pleasant. Now it was if they were in one unending nightmare. They'd lost their home in the Blue Mountains, their mother, their beloved friends, Fili had almost died, and now they were slaves to these cruel humans.

And Kili lived in constant fear that they would be separated. Multiple humans were brought over to examine the cage full of dwarves and none of them seemed interested in buying the whole lot. Fortunately for them, the slave mongers who had purchased them seemed to be poor at negotiating and prospective buyers were discouraged away by outrageous prices.

"I wonder where Ori and Gimli are now," Kili said aloud one day as he and Fili sat at one end of the cage with Brenna and Asphodel while Thorin paced about the cage like a caged animal, glaring at the Humans that passed by the cage and muttered curses in their direction. Bilbo sat with Astelia and Bringen, trying to pass the time.

"They could be anywhere," Fili answered, as he idly flicked a stone that had landed in their cage out into the air, chuckling a bit when it struck a market goer in the leg and the Human whirled to and fro trying to pinpoint where the object had come from, "I hope they are all still alive."

"Don't think that way," Asphodel told him, with a smile, "You will see your kin again. When we escape out of here, we can go look for them."

"You keep talking about escaping," Brenna said, "You won't get out of here until we get sold so just give up that idea."

Asphodel sighed, her optimism shattered a bit. Kili winced a little as Brenna's harsh pessimism washed the pleasant smile from Asphodel's face. He couldn't help but feel guilty at the idea that they were at least partially responsible for the hobbits being involved in this and he was afraid that Asphodel's sweet, cheerful, somewhat innocent demeanor would be destroyed by this experience.

It had surely changed him, after all. As the youngest of almost everyone in the village, with the exception of Gimli; Kili had often been called innocent at best and naive at worst. He had known very little about life outside the Blue Mountains, safe for Thorin's stories. Fili often had a larger share of the chores and was charged with the added responsibility of looking after his brother in the absence of anyone older. And Fili also had to live with the responsibility of being the heir. Kili had had very little to worry about, it seemed someone was always there to care for him.

Now, it seemed he had had a very cruel wake up call.

"It's going to be alright," he said to Asphodel, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You are right, we can't give up hope."

"Coddling people never did them any good," Brenna pointed out. Kili shot her a glare to which she simply rolled her eyes, "Best you learn now rather than later."

Kili bit his tongue and glanced at his brother for help. He wanted to say something in retort, to tell the gnome that Thorin would get them out of this and that everything would be alright in the end. After all, he wanted to continue to believe that. But it was clear that Brenna and her mother had gone through enough hard times to know better. She was pessimistic and seemed to have built up an icy cold wall of defensiveness and anger. She seemed terrified of trusting anyone.

But to Kili's relief, Fili did respond, "You've been in captivity for a long time then?" he asked gently, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder as he looked at the little gnome, "Where you born to this life?"

"No," Brenna said with a bit of a sneer. She glared at him for a long while, as if trying to come up with some way to take offense with him. But Fili's gentle demeanor defeated her efforts and she sighed and continued, "We lived in a gnome village. The Gnome lands are in the very far north, beyond the Forodwaith. There, it is cold and frozen and the sun does not rise in the winter. It is a land full of trolls and giants and yetis where no tree will grow and warmth is scarce. Only the strongest races can live there."

"It sounds like a harsh land," Kili put in, trying to be understanding, "A remote and desolate wasteland."

"It's beautiful!" Brenna exclaimed, glaring at him, "It was our home! You know nothing of this, Dwarf!"

Kili felt anger rise and he opened his mouth to respond when Fili suddenly grabbed him and hauled him to his feet, "Shh," he warned. Kili followed his gaze and sighed as he saw one of the slave mongers approach the cage with another prospective buyer. Immediately, everyone was on their feet.

"500 gold pieces for the entire cage," the Slave monger began, grinning at his prospective customer.

"I have a large seafaring vessel, I need deck servants" the customer was explaining, "What do you have for me, Bargo?"

"Ah you are in luck!" Bargo exclaimed, "We just brought these ones in last night! We have Dwarves, can you believe it!"

The customer walked along the perimeter of the cage, scrutinizing each occupant inside. Thorin glared back, watching his every move. Kili felt uneasy and instinctively moved closer to his brother, wishing he had his bow.

"How did you manage to capture three dwarves?" the Customer asked, he glanced at Thorin, "That one seems familiar to me somehow."

"I don't know their origins," Bargo said with a shrug, "I think you'll find that Dwarves make good servants. They are hardy and strong."

"And they are good fighters," the customer said. Kili didn't like the way this Human kept staring at his uncle. He and Fili moved to Thorin's side protectively, "Which is why I am surprised to find them in captivity."

"Ah they do require discipline," Bargo said and Kili felt hot with anger as he watched Bargo's sales pitch, "They can be stubborn."

"Perhaps I'll only buy one of them then," the customer said, "One of those young ones, perhaps."

"No," Thorin warned, "If you separate us, you will not receive our cooperation. Keep us together and you have my word we will work in your service without complaint."

Kili watched as the men regarded Thorin for a moment. He knew what it meant when Thorin gave his word. He had hoped they would escape this somehow, but with those words that possibility seemed more unlikely.

The customer turned his attention to the three hobbits. Bilbo did his best to appear threatening as the customer eyed him and his sister and niece.

"I've never owned Hobbits before," the customer said, shifting his gaze to Bilbo, Astelia, and Asphodel, "I've never even seen one before."

"They're good farmers," Bargo offered, "Perfect for peasant work."

"I am a seafarer not a farmer," the customer growled, "They seem weak."

"Oh I'm sure you can use them," Bargo said, "As deck hands, perhaps."

The Customer didn't seem too convinced but he and Bargo began to argue over gold anyway. Eventually, a deal was struck for the entire cage. Kili felt relieved as he watched the customer bring over a horse and uncovered wagon. He was worried about what care they would receive at the hands of this man, but he was happy to be getting out of the cage and he was relieved that they would be together.

Bargo pulled out a long sword and moved to open the cage door. Kili felt Thorin tense beside him.

"Step out," Bargo ordered, waving his long sword at Thorin, "Slowly and no sudden movements."

Thorin complied, keeping his eyes on the two men as he moved through the cage door. They were all still in the uncomfortable chains and shackles and Kili winced a bit when he saw his uncle stumble a little bit, nearly tripping over the iron ball that dragged behind him.

"Get into the wagon and sit down," the customer instructed and waited for Thorin to obey before motioning for Fili to follow suit. One by one, they climbed into the wagon and sat down in the wooden wagon bed. The gnomes joined them as well, silently.

The customer pulled out a long, dangerous looking whip and glared at the wagon full of Dwarves, Hobbits, and Gnomes, "Try anything and you will know pain," he warned as he climbed up to the driving area and sent the horse into a trot. And soon, they were off, heading back towards the docks. Kili wondered what would be in store for them on this next part of their adventure.

** There's the next chapter. I am projecting that this is going to be a very long story full of many ups and downs for the Durins and their friends. **

**I am having fun with Fili and Kili because I am projecting a little bit of my own life into them. I am the oldest of four children and like Fili, I usually got more responsibility than my younger siblings when we were growing up, including taking care of said siblings.**


	12. Chapter 12

Asphodel had never seen the ocean before. Even in their uncertain situation, she couldn't help but be mesmerized by the lull of the open sea stretching out onto the horizon.

She and the others had been purchased as servants by the captain of this cargo vessel. They were brought on board a number of days ago. The captain, Lester as his name turned out to be, was in the business of shipping cargo to and from the port city and various ports along the coast. Captain Lester had given them over to the quartermaster who promptly assessed their skills and then assigned them to other members of the crew.

Asphodel and her mother had been separated from Bilbo and given over to Mistress Biata. The ship, called the _Intrepid_, was unique in the realm of middle earth seafarers in that three of the crew were women. But all the women were forced to work under the cruel eye of Mistress Biata, the wife of the equally cruel Quartermaster.

Asphodel had quickly learned that the mistress was not one to be disobeyed. She still had a whip mark on her back to remind her of what a defiant tongue would bring her.

As soon as the vessel was sailing over open oceans, the new arrivals were allowed out of their chains and given the freedom to move about the vessel, though they were given warning what betrayal would bring them. Mistress Biata had given Asphodel and her mother over to the ship surgeon, a flamboyant woman named Flava. Flava was kind enough though she was more than a little vain and could sometimes have a temper.

It was three days now since the vessel had been out at sea and it was unknown where they were headed, the only answer from Laars, the ship's Sailmaster was "North." Asphodel had been released from her duties of the day after hours of mixing medicines and folding bandages. Now, she sat near the ship's bow, her legs dangling over the edge, and gazed out at the ocean.

Asphodel had come up here every evening after Flava had released her from duty for the day to watch the sun set and to day dream. And every evening, she felt transfixed by the beauty. She felt her troubles leave her for this moment in time and it seemed as though the world fell away and it was just her and the water and the sky. She had never imagined anything beyond the shire being this beautiful and it began to awaken something deep within her; a thirst for adventure that she didn't realize existed.

"Asphodel?" Asphodel jumped at the sudden sound of her name and turned to see Kili standing over her, looking at her with slight concern.

"I think your mother was looking for you," he said before sitting down beside her, "She was worried, she said you got into an argument with Flava."

"She doesn't know anything about herbs and medicines," Asphodel responded, feeling angry, "This vessel is a bastion for pestilence and I am surprised sickness hasn't happened here yet!"

"You should be careful about what you say to these Humans," Kili warned her, "Humans can sometimes be cruel and these ones are good examples. Your mother was worried that Flava would report you to Mistress Biata."

"She won't, she hates Biata just as much as anyone. Besides, I'm not afraid of the mistress," Asphodel responded, before hissing a bit in pain, remembering her first encounter with Biata. Kili glanced at her with slight concern and she sighed before brushing aside the fabric of her gown on her shoulder to reveal the thin, red laceration on her shoulder, "She and I have already exchanged pleasantries."

"I'm sorry," Kili offered before sighing and turning his gaze on the ocean, "We've all been… sworn in by the quartermaster as well. They both seem to have a fondness for their whips."

"Well we cannot let them get the better of us," Asphodel said defiantly. She knew they weren't really in the position to warrant much resistance to the crew of this vessel, but she was determined not to give in to them either. She was a Took, after all, she wasn't the kind of hobbit that would just go along with things if she could say something about them.

"They aren't all bad," Kili suggested, "And I am starting to think that not all of them are here willingly either."

Asphodel glanced at him for an explanation and he continued, "I have been working with the ship's carpenter," he began, "His name is Caellen. He's quite young, even by human standards. He is in charge of making repairs and caring for the ship itself. He has been teaching me about wood, and I have been enjoying my work with him."

Kili reached into his pocket and pulled out a block of wood and a small chisel. He handed the small piece of wood over to her and as she peered at it, she saw various designs partially carved into it, included a small bearded dwarf face.

"It's going to be a pipe," he said proudly, "For Thorin. He lost his when we were captured from the shire. That dwarf there is my great grandfather, Thror."

"That is kind of you," Asphodel said, handing the wood back and watching as he began carving into it.

Then, Asphodel turned back toward the ocean and gasped in delight. Suddenly, before her eyes, a fountain of water shot up and nearly sprayed her with water. Then, a massive whale leapt out of the ocean, its body gleaming in the orange rays of setting sunlight.

"Whoa!" Kili exclaimed as the whale continued to leap out of the water as it seemed to chase the boat, "I've never seen a whale before!"

"Neither have I," Asphodel said as they watched the happy beast play about before them, "I have never seen the sea before."

"I have never been beyond the blue mountains before," Kili admitted, "Though I grew up on tales of Erebor."

"I never thought anything that existed beyond the shire could be so beautiful," Asphodel said, then she turned to Kili, "I miss the shire dearly, and I know Uncle Bilbo and Mother will do whatever they can to get back there… but I have to admit that I would like to see what else lies beyond the borders of my home..." she paused to look at him, "Will you tell me about Erebor?"

"It is our long lost kingdom," Kili began, staring out at the ocean and the whale as he seemed to be conjuring up memory of the tales he had been told, "My great grandfather, Thror, ruled as king under the mountain nearly 200 years ago… that is until Smaug came."

"Smaug?" Asphodel was instantly enthralled in the tale and waited for him to continue.

"A huge fire breathing dragon," Kili emphasized, "He came to steal our people's treasure."

"You had a treasure?"

"Well Thror did. Erebor was a mighty kingdom! But Smaug took it and the mountain and forced our people into exile. They wandered the land until they settled in the Blue Mountains. My brother and I were born in exile; we have never seen the mountain."

"Dragons and kingdoms and treasure," Asphodel breathed softly, "I could never imagine that such stories could be true. We hobbits are quite isolated in our shire and these tales would be hard believed by my kin!"

"They are true," Kili insisted, "My uncle was very young when they left the mountain, but he still remembers."

"Do you think you'd ever return to the mountain?" Asphodel asked, "Your people?"

"I know my uncle would want to," Kili said, "But the dragon is still there and not even an army of mighty dwarf warriors were able to defeat him."

Asphodel's imagination soared with this tale. As she and Kili sat together, talking and swapping stories of growing up in the shire and the Blue Mountains, the sunlight died away and was replaced with a massive full moon and a sky full of stars. Asphodel gazed up at them in wonder, and felt like a small being under the vastness of the cosmos.

"I'd like to see your kingdom," she said after awhile, "I have seen the stars from the shire and now I have seen them from the ocean. I would like to see them from atop a mountain as well."

"They can seem closer from there," Kili responded, as the two of them sat together and gazed skywards, "Almost as if you can touch them. From-"

He was interrupted by a sudden burst of laughter. They both whirled around to see two of the crew members stumbling along.

"Oh no, Dampinier and Laars…" Kili whispered and they both got quickly to their feet.

"Ain't you two short stuffs got something to do?" Laars demanded as the two of them glowered down at them. Asphodel winced when she caught the scent of alcohol on his breath.

"Our duties are done for the day," Asphodel began, glaring defiantly as she put her hands on her hips, "We can be here if we choose."

"Be mindful of your tongue, Girlie," Dampinier warned, "I'll not have a woman talk back to me."

"I'll speak my mind," Asphodel shot back, "I'll not be mindful to the likes of the two of you!"

"You need some disciplining, girlie" Laars said, in a lewd, suggestive tone, as an eager grin spread across his face, "And maybe Dampinier and I ought to be the ones to discipline you."

"Come on, let's go," Kili said and though Asphodel was more than willing to engage in a battle of insults with these two drunks, she reluctantly heeded his suggestion and turned to leave, but as she did so, Laars lunged forward and seized her by the arm, yanking her against him.

"I didn't say you could go anywhere, Girlie," he said, "You'll stay here and entertain me and my mate here."

"Let her go," Kili warned. Asphodel struggled in Laars's vise like grip.

"Or what, Boy!" Dampinier demanded, "You think you can do anything to stop us from doing as we please with the girl?"

Kili responded by jumping forward and shoving Laars backwards with full force. The large man stumbled backwards, and Asphodel stumbled to the ground with him. Quickly, she scurried to the ground, just in time to see Dampinier grab Kili by the shirt and yank him over.

"Looks like we got us a fighter, Laars," Dampinier said with a cruel chuckle, "Best we show the kid who is boss around here!"

"No!" Asphodel cried out but too late as Dampinier's left fist connected hard with Kili's jaw. The young dwarf was thrown backwards by the impact and landed heavily on his back. He had barely enough time to roll over before the two men descended upon him like a pair of wolves. They kicked and punched wildly, laughing as they spurred one another on.

Asphodel let out a scream and tried to yank at one of the men but was shoved back. In the mess of legs and arms, she could see Kili desperately trying to defend himself, with little effect. Every time he tried to get to his feet, they would kick him back down so he eventually gave up and tried to shield himself from their fierce blows.

"Hey!" came a shout from behind. Asphodel whirled around to see the quartermaster shuffle over, his trusty whip already in hand.

"That's enough!" the quartermaster shouted, cracking the whip onto Dampinier's back, "Dampinier, get ye below decks!"

"We're just havin a little fun, Boss!" Dampinier defended, immediately moving back, "Someone's gotta teach the dwarf some manners."

"I said get below decks or I'll flog ye until ye can't sit for a week!" the quartermaster shouted, waving his whip menacingly. Dampinier didn't argue, just spin and cursed before slumping away, Laars walking arrogantly after him.

Asphodel hurried over to Kili who moaned as he slowly sat up. Even in the dark, she could see one eye starting to swell and he winced as he held his aching torso.

"They were drinking," Asphodel informed the quartermaster as he walked over and watched them both, "They provoked- "

Asphodel was cut off when the quartermaster suddenly lashed out and struck her hard across the face and then punched Kili hard in the jaw, sending him back to the ground.

"I don't need ye to be causing fights with them!" he shouted angrily as Asphodel grabbed her reddened cheek, "I am sick of havin to break up their fights! Next time learn to keep yer mouths shut. No meal for either of you for tomorrow."

With that, he stormed away. Asphodel hurried to help Kili up, "I'm sorry," she offered as he leaned heavily on her, "This is my fault. I should have kept quiet."

"No…" he mumbled softly, before spitting on the ground and crying out in pain. Asphodel sighed and put and arm around him and helped him limp along.

Asphodel and Kili made the slow journey back to the deck where they had all been sleeping. It was a long way down to the very bottom of the vessel, through narrow corridors and down small flights of stairs and Asphodel had to bear much of Kili's weight as he leaned against her, stumbling with every step.

There had been no cabins assigned to them and instead, they were forced to live in the ship cargo and supply hold. It was a cramped area full of dust and wooden crates and barrels. When they arrived, Brenna was down there, lighting some candles and lanterns for the night.

"What happened!" she exclaimed, hurrying forward to help Asphodel Kili down the stairs and onto one of the rows of small rugs they slept on. He whimpered and winced as they slowly brought him down and laid his head on the pile of cloth he used as a pillow. Brenna quickly grabbed a few lanterns to shed some light on the wounded dwarf.

"We had a run in with Laars and Dampinier," Asphodel explained, "They were drunk. Can you go find my mother? And Fili and Thorin."

"I'm right here" came Fili's voice as he descended the stairs and hurried to his brother's side. Asphodel quickly explained once more what had happened as Brenna hurried off to get the others.

"Brother…" Fili knelt beside Kili, and peered into his face, trying to get a response from him, "Kili, I'm here…"

"Hurts…" Kili mumbled, and then rolled over as he spat blood out onto the floor. Fili blanched at the sight, but he composed himself long enough to help Asphodel gently pull Kili's tunic off of him, in order to examine what injuries could have been caused there.

"Oh…" Asphodel murmured in sympathy as she gazed at the damage. The young dwarf was covered in black bruises and a few lacerations, the worst of which was a large gash on the left side of his lower rib cage.

"I'm sorry, Kili, I have to check for broken bones," she explained, reaching over to press on his skin, trying to be as gentle as she could.

Even with her gentle touch, Kili let out a cry of pain and Fili quickly hurried to comfort him, running a hand through the mess of brown hair soothingly.

"Shhh," Fili murmured. Asphodel felt along Kili's torso and ribs, feeling satisfied when she didn't feel anything broken.

"I think this wound needs stitches," she told Fili, "We have to wait for my mother to do it. Can you get me some alcohol?"

Fili nodded and retrieved a jar from the pile of medical supplies Asphodel and her mother kept down there. He also retrieved a pail of water and some rags.

"I'm sorry," Asphodel repeated softly as she started cleaning the wound. She felt nothing guilt. Kili had gotten hurt trying to protect her. He wouldn't have had to if she hadn't talked back to Laars and Dampinier.

Just then, everyone else returned. Thorin was there instantly, kneeling beside Fili while Asphodel moved aside to allow her mother to take over.

"Asphodel, what happened?!" Bilbo hurried over, gesturing to her bruised cheek and the wounded dwarf on the floor. She shrugged, "The quartermaster felt it necessary to discipline us," she explained, "I have to learn to hold my tongue. This is my fault…"

"Ah it's hard, I know," Bilbo chided, putting a hand on her shoulders, "I've had to restrain myself a few times as well. It's the Tookish side, you know."

"I'd like to give those brutes a piece of my mind!" Brenna exclaimed, "They like to pick fights when they are drunk, it's best just to try and avoid them."

They were interrupted by a loud cry of pain from Kili as Astelia touched the side of his face where the quartermaster had punched him.

"Ah that's broken, I'm afraid" Astelia said. As she adjusted Kili's jaw, the dwarf gave another cry of pain and Asphodel winced, feeling sympathy for him. But her mother continued, "But you were lucky there aren't any other broken bones and these lacerations not terribly serious as long as they are properly cared for. You need to rest here for a few days."

"I have to… work on part of the hull… tomorrow…" Kili mumbled slowly, whimpering in pain with every syllable, "Caellen is expecting me…"

"I think I can talk to Roche about it," Fili offered, referring to the boatswain he had been working with, "I've been working with him, he's hard willed but kind and the quartermaster leaves him be."

"I'll talk to him," Thorin replied, "You say below with your brother, I don't want anyone coming in here and harming him further."

Astelia finished the stitches and bandages covered Kili so that he could get some sleep. With nothing much left to do once Kili drifted off to an uneasy sleep, the others lay down around him on the floor and prepared to sleep. Asphodel found it hard to get much sleep that night. As the last candle burned out and she lay awake, she could hear Kili's soft whimpering- as well as the scampering of the mice as they moved about the crates. She could only hope that the next day would be better…

**Sailor Dwarves! It's 1AM over here and I really wanted to get this chapter finished, but I hope there aren't too much in the way of typos… I am actually contemplating trying my hand at photoshop to try and illustrate this story! Possible make it into a comic strip of sorts. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, goodnight!**


	13. Chapter 13

Fili felt the anger well up inside him once more as he watched his brother sleep. He couldn't count all the bruises and small lacerations that peppered Kili's bare chest. His right eye was black and swollen shut and Astelia had tied a cloth under his chin and around his head to keep his broken jaw in place.

"It will be meal time soon," said Brenna as she handed Asphodel some more bandages, "Shall I bring us back something to eat?"

"I am afraid not," Asphodel said sadly as she changed Kili's bandages, "The Quartermaster has punished me and Kili for fighting and we are not permitted any food."

Fili felt his cheeks flush with heat at that. He clenched his fists and felt his body quiver with barely contained rage. He had had a few run ins with Dampinier and Laars. Enough to know that they had started this quarrel and that it would not have taken much to provoke them into violence.

"We were just watching the ocean," Asphodel said sadly, "They showed up and told us to leave. I should have kept my mouth shut but I was tired of being pushed around so I told them off. They started getting pushy towards me and Kili defended me…"

Fili nodded. He could see what had happened now. He smiled slightly at his now sleeping little brother. Kili was very brave and heroic- often to the point of recklessness. He wouldn't have hesitated to come to Asphodel's defense, especially if he considered her a friend.

"I won't eat if my brother can't," Fili informed Brenna, "You may go get something if you want."

Brenna seemed to consider her options. She and her mother tried to keep to themselves since arriving on this ship and Fili knew that they were used to thinking of themselves and had no reason to be loyal to them.

But surprisingly, Brenna shrugged, "Not that hungry anyway," she said simply, "Maybe later."

"Ugh…" they were interrupted by a moan as Kili woke up and winced in pain.

"Brother," Fili said softly, leaning in closer, "You're alright. You're safe."

Kili looked around at everyone, his eyes settling on Asphodel, "I orry…" he mumbled, wincing in pain as his mending jaw protested, "You 'kay?"

"Don't be sorry," Asphodel told him, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who got us into this."

Kili shook his head in disagreement but didn't have the energy to argue. He glanced at Fili, "Fee… w're unc...?" Kili arched his brow in frustration as he couldn't get his jaw to cooperate with him. The bandages Astelia had put around his face kept the broken bone in place.

"Uncle had to go work with Plank," Fili told him, "He'll be back when he can." In truth, Fili worried about Thorin. Plank, the large Weapon's Master of the ship, had a very short temper and Thorin often returned with a bruise or two.

"Wa.. 'o go 'ome…" Kili lamented sadly. Fili sighed and shook his head. They didn't have a home anymore.

"We'll find a new home soon," Fili told him, "Don't worry, Little Brother."

"This is your new home," Brenna pointed out, "Get used to it."

Fili glanced at the gnome, wanting to contradict her, but Asphodel beat him to it,

"We'll get out of here," she said, "When the ship gets into port, we will have an opportunity."

"They'll kill you before you even think of it," Brenna responded with a sneer.

"My uncle is a king, you know," Fili blurted out, "And we are all warriors. All we need is to get our hands on some weapons."

"You are delusional," Brenna snapped, "The only thing you have to think about now is how to please the crew."

With that, Brenna retreated to the far corner, giving them one last glare before turning her back to them.

"She's so hostile," Asphodel whispered, looking at Fili, "Are all gnomes like that?"

"I've never met any other gnomes," Fili responded, "But I think she's just used to thinking for herself. I think she has been through a lot and it's hard for her to trust anyone."

"We've all been through a lot too…" Asphodel reminded him, her voice trailing off as she looked away.

"'ey…" Kili murmured suddenly, and as Fili glanced around, he saw Dampinier trampling down the ladder.

"Came down to get me some more rum," Dampinier said, turning to glance at the four of them. Fili immediately felt his blood boil when he saw Dampinier's beady eyes fall on Kili and the rigger burst into laughter,

"Ahh we got ye good, Dwarf!" he said, laughing hysterically. Kili remained silent, but Fili clenched his fists and tried to control his contempt as he watched Dampinier rummage about the cargo boxes, looking for a crate of rum bottles.

Fili got to his feet as Dampinier turned to face them after retrieving the crate he desired. A smug smirk spread across Dampinier's face as he watched Fili fume before him. Fili fought hard to stay in control of his temper, but he was visibly shaking with rage.

_This man hurt your brother…_ Fili could hear the voice in the back of his mind encouraging him to do what he really wanted to do, which was to beat the man to a pulp. But he knew that would only cause more trouble for all of them. So he simply glared, unable to speak. He knew anything that came out of his mouth to the man would be unkind and provocative.

"Ahh…" Dampinier said in a mocking tone, "Is the little dwarf angry at me?"

_Control yourself!_ Fili thought to himself. But he couldn't stop the words from coming out, "You hurt my brother…" he said, his voice low with contempt.

Dampinier's grin was replaced by a dangerous, intimidating glare as he put the crate down and stalked over to Fili.

"Fee…" Kili mumbled from behind him and he could see Asphodel getting to her feet while Brenna watched carefully from the corner.

Dampinier moved so that his icy glare was mere inches from Fili, his alcohol hinted breath bearing down on the dwarf. Fili had to crane his head up to make eye contact, but he didn't take his eyes off of the man.

"What are ye going to do about it?" Dampinier demanded with an intimidating tone in his voice, "I could break you in half."

"Try it," Fili jeered before he could stop himself.

That was all the temperamental rigger needed. Fili was suddenly shoved against the wall and as quick as lightening, Dampinier was upon him. He heard Asphodel scream and saw Kili scramble up just as Dampinier landed a blow to the side of his head.

The world spun for a moment as Fili staggered around, the blow to his head causing him to lose his balance. But he was prepared for the next volley. As Dampinier came in for another blow, Fili ducked low, twirled, and caught him in the stomach with a left kick.

Dampinier went flying backwards and Fili took his chance. He dove on the human, throwing him against crates of cargo, causing a few to topple over onto them. Soon, they were both rolling on the floor, crashing crates and thrashing about. Cargo spilled out around them. Glass and metal Jars and containers fell and shattered around them, spilling their contents all over the cargo area.

Asphodel, Kili, and Brenna all circled, trying to break up the fight, but the man and the dwarf would not be separated now.

Fili unleashed all his pent up rage on Dampinier. He managed to pin the man and punched his face repeatedly. He wanted to hurt him the way he hurt Kili. He felt almost frenzied as he wailed on Dampinier.

The golden haired dwarf was so engulfed in his fury that he didn't notice one of Dampinier's arms slip free from under him. He didn't hear Kili suddenly cry out his name. He suddenly felt a bolt of pain erupt across his upper back and something hard struck him. He tumbled off of the man, dazed.

Dampinier had managed to grab a small metal jar from one of the crates and had struck him hard. Fili tried to recover himself, but Dampinier was up and on him in seconds. The two rolled around some more and then suddenly, Dampinier's powerful hands were clasped around Fili's neck.

Fili felt his rage disappear to be replaced with panic as he struggled for air, his desperate hands grasping at the rigger's arms that clasped around his throat like a vice.

Kili jumped on Dampinier, trying to pry him off his brother, but Dampinier kicked him away and Fili heard a crash as his brother fell into some crates. Asphodel and Brenna replaced Kili, but they too were kept at bay.

Fili felt as if he was drowning, the world around him was swimming. A terrible loud humming noise filled his ears as his head felt as if it would explode. He gagged; his arms and legs flailing about. Dampinier laughed as he bore down on the dwarf he was bent on strangling to death. All Fili could focus on were the man's eyes. He was vaguely away of Kili and the girls continuing to assault Dampinier but to no avail.

Then he felt something brush against his desperate fingers. Something hard. Without thinking, Fili grabbed the hard item and shoved it into Dampinier's back with all of his strength.

Dampinier let out a shriek and rolled off Fili, releasing his hold. Fili gasped and heaved, rolling onto his knees, as he tried to recover.

"Brother…" Kili was beside him, letting him lean on him for support as he regained his breath.

Then the room was oddly quiet. Fili dared to lift his eyes, expecting Dampinier to come in for another attack. But the rigger lay in a heap and Fili realized what he had done. The object he had found was a broken glass rum container. The shards impaled Dampinier in the side and blood slowly oozed down his back onto the floor.

Brenna moved over to investigate the felled rigger first, "He's dead…" she announced. At that news, Fili gasped and fell back against his brother. He hadn't meant to kill anyone.

"I-I didn't mean too…" Fili gasped, feeling guilty as he tried to swallow, his throat sore from the assault.

"It was self defense," Asphodel pointed out, "If he hadn't done it, Dampinier would have killed him!"

"That isn't going to matter to the quartermaster!" Brenna exclaimed anxiously, "He's going to hurt us all!"

Fili winced. They could all pay for his actions.

"Wha… ca 'ee do?" Kili murmured, wincing a little as his jaw strained. Fili didn't respond to his little brother. He didn't know what to do...

**Hi everyone, sorry it took so long to post this chapter! I was stumped on it and also, I was out of town for about a week with little chance for internet. I love all the reviews so much! But I have to ask, what would all of you like to see happen in this story? I have an overall outline as to what is going on, but I'd like your input.**

**Also, I started a roleplaying thread in the hobbit forums, you should check it out! It's called "Dwarves in the real world" and it's about the dwarves getting dropped into the middle of San Francisco. Kind of like my fan fic "Choices" which I keep saying I'll finish… anyways, go check it out! Thorn and Kili and most of the dwarves are still up for grabs. I am playing them temporarily, but I'd like to give them to someone else. **


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